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The Eight Immortals (八仙 ba xian, in Chinese) are eight colourful Daoist personalities well-known in Chinese popular culture for over seven hundred years. 仙 (xian) in Chinese means ‘those who have achieved <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longevity</a>, immortality, and enlightenment’ and their artistic characterisation in extant dates back as early as the 3rd-century BCE, as ‘a male figure riding on a dragon’. Xian immortals can live on air and dew, fly without wings, and are resistant to the harmful effects of the elements. They possess many desirable traits in human society such as being free from anxiety, acting with spontaneity, and even forever having skin as smooth as that of a baby.
The Eight Immortals represent a wide spectrum of the society: male and female, rich and privileged and poor and downtrodden, old and young. They are <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhongli-quan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhongli Quan</a> (钟离权, or 汉钟离), <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-dongbin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Dongbin</a> (吕洞宾, or Lü Dongbin), <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/cao-guojiu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cao Guojiu</a> (曹国舅), Han Xiangzi (韩湘子), He Xiangu (何仙姑), Lan Caihe (蓝采和), Li Tieguai (李铁拐), Zhang Guolao (张果老). Each of the Eight Immortals typically has specific emblems as his or her distinctive attribute. Zhongli Quan holds a fan or <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/peach-fruit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peach</a>. Lv Dongbin has a sword. Cao Guojiu carries a clapper of several long, flat pieces of wood, or an official’s writing tablet in court, hu (笏). Han Xiangzi plays a bamboo <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/xiao-shis-playing-the-xiao-flute-attracting-phoenixes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flute</a>. He Xian’gu, the only female among the eight, carries a stem of <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/lotus-he-hua/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lotus flower</a> or a long-handled <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/bamboo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bamboo </a>colander. Lan Caihe has a basket of flowers. Li Tieguai leans on his iron crutch with a <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/gourd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gourd </a>often in his hand. Zhang Guolao, the oldest among the eight, is usually identified with his membranophone fish drum (渔鼓 yugu). These emblems can be used independently in decoration as the ‘Covet Eight Immortals (暗八仙 an ba xian)’.

Eight Daoist Immortals

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When Prefect Mao Bao 毛宝 was stationed in the city of Wuchang 武昌, Hebei province, during the Jin dynasty (晋 265-420), there was a story about a white <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tortoise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tortoise </a>who repays its benefactor by saving his life.
One day, one of Mao Bao’s soldiers went to market for groceries and returned to the camp with an extra white tortoise. The tortoise was about four or five inches long and still young and vulnerable. So the soldier took the responsibility to feed it. When the tortoise grew to be too large to be living in a tub, the soldier set it free to the Yangtze River. Later, the army that the soldier belonged to was defeated in a battle. In despair, the soldier put on his full armour and threw himself into the river with his cleaver in the hand. Curiously, he found himself landed on a rock unhurt. To his amazement, it was none other than the very white-backed tortoise he had raised! Now it turned out to be a giant fellow, 6 to 7 feet long. The tortoise carried the solider to the east shore and he survived the enemy’s slaughter.
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
Another story relating to ‘Repaying Gratitude’:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-dream-by-the-qiantang-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The dream by the Qiantang river</a>

White-backed tortoise repaying gratitude

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The Legend of the White Snake is one of China’s four great folktales, the others being Lady Meng Jiang, Butterfly Lovers, and <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-weaving-maiden-and-the-herd-boy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl</a>. Early versions of this tale can be traced to the Southern Song story collection Records of Three Pagodas of West Lake (《西湖三塔记》) and the Yuan zaju play The White Snake (《白蛇记》). By the Ming dynasty, Feng Menglong (冯梦龙)’s Stories to Caution the World—specifically the tale Madam White Forever Imprisoned Beneath Leifeng Pagoda (《警世通言·白娘子永镇雷峰塔》)—refined the narrative. During the Qing dynasty, it gained widespread popularity through operas and folk performances, becoming a beloved classic.
The story recounts how Bai Suzhen (白素贞), a white snake spirit who has cultivated her powers for a thousand years, and Xiaoqing (小青), a green snake spirit, transform into humans to experience the mortal world. While visiting West Lake in Hangzhou, Bai Suzhen encounters a scholar named Xu Xian (许仙). The two fall in love at first sight, and get married soon afterwards. Xiaoqing, leading five little spirits, manages to steal money from a corrupted governor’s bank so that Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian can open a local pharmacy. However, abbot Fa Hai (法海) discovers Bai Suzhen’s true identity as a spirit and, believing that humans and spirits cannot coexist, repeatedly intervenes.
On the Duanwu Festival (端午节), Fa Hai tricks Xu Xian into persuading Bai Suzhen <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/duanwu-festival-and-combating-the-five-poisons-in-chinese-seasonal-customs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to drink realgar wine</a>, which forces her to reveal her snake form. Terrified, Xu collapses and dies. Bai Suzhen risks her life to steal an immortal herb, reviving Xu Xian, though their lives are fraught with tension from that point onward.
Fa Hai lures Xu Xian to Jinshan Temple and traps him there. Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing lead an army of undersea creatures to attack the monastery with storms and floods, but they are defeated by Fa Hai’s superior Buddhist magic, aided by heavenly warriors. Bai Suzhen retreats to Hangzhou and, at Duanqiao, she unexpectedly reunites with Xu Xian, who manages to escape from the temple during the sea battle. The couple reminisce about their first meeting at Duanqiao and eventually reconcile.
Bai Suzhen later gives birth to a son, Xu Shilin (许仕林). Seizing an opportunity, Fa Hai captures Bai Suzhen using a magical alms bowl and imprisons her beneath Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔), separating her from her family.
Years later, Xu Shilin achieves the highest honours in the imperial civil service examinations and returns to Hangzhou in glory. He visits Leifeng Pagoda to honour his mother. His filial piety and Bai Suzhen’s enduring loyalty move the heavens, causing the pagoda to collapse. Bai Suzhen is finally freed and reunites with her son.
This tale, blending fantasy with human emotion, reflects themes of love, sacrifice, and the struggle against fate, securing its place as a cherished masterpiece in Chinese culture.
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Story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other Figural Stories:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/heavenly-master-zhang-quelling-the-five-poisons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heavenly Master Zhang Quelling the Five Poisons</a> 张天师降五毒
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/story-of-the-white-hare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Story of the White Hare</a> 白兔记

Legend of the White Snake

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This scene was from a popular play ‘The Story of the White Hare’ (Bai Tu Ji 白兔记) and was much admired during the Ming dynasty.
Liu Zhiyuan 刘知远, the hero of the play set during the turbulent Five Dynasties (907–960), became an orphan when he was a teenager. His affluent neighbour looked after him and later married his daughter Li Sanniang 李三娘 to him. Unfortunately, his brother- and sister-in-law disliked him and maltreated the couple after their father passed away. The situation left Liu little choice but to seek his fortune in the army, leaving his pregnant wife behind. Sanniang suffered great misfortune in her husband’s absence, having to give birth to her son in the mill and name him Yaoqilang (咬脐郎 boy with the bitten belly button), because she severed the umbilical cord with her teeth. In order to escape her brother’s murder attempt, Sanniang had to send the boy to his father with the help of a friend. Fifteen years later, Liu, now a military governor, happened to be stationed near his home village. During a hunting trip, his son encountered the mother fetching water by a well while he was pursuing a white hare. The play naturally concluded with a happy ending!
This story scene on porcelain was first identified by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>.  
Reference:
Jeffrey P. Stamen, Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni, A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Bruges, 2017, cat. no. 9.

Story of the White Hare

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This is Scene One of Act Two of the Chinese classic popular drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
Sun Feihu 孙飞虎, nicknamed ‘Sun the Flying Tiger’, is a local bandit who is stationed near a Buddhist monastery where Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 is residing temporarily with her family. Sun Feihu hears about Yingying’s beauty and wants to abduct her to be his bride. He leads his army besieging the temple, and shouts that if Yingying is not sent out to him within three days, he will burn down the whole temple and kill all the monks inside. This leads to the next episode of Scholar Zhang asking monk <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/huiming-delivering-a-letter-for-help/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Huiming to deliver a letter for help</a> from General Du Que.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a> 莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhangs-startled-dream-at-caoqiao-inn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang’s startled dream at Caoqiao Inn</a> 草桥惊梦

Sun Feihu besieging the monastery with a gang of bandits

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When Bing Ji (丙吉 d. 55 BCE) was a chancellor in the Han court, once he encountered the aftermath of a gang fight in the street. Bing Ji passed them without batting an eyelid. Further ahead, a buffalo passed and it looked out of breath. Bing Ji had its owner stopped and inquired about the buffalo’s heavy panting. Bing Ji’s aide thought Bing Ji paid no attention to the severe casualties but showed unwarranted interest in a panting buffalo. Bing Ji explained, ‘Curtailing gang fights are the police commissioner’s responsibility, not a chancellor’s. It is only spring now and the sun is quite mild but the buffalo was heavily panting. I wondered if there was something wrong with the climate that harmed the animal.’
Read more of Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s research work regarding this <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/a-statesmans-duty-to-his-country-a-chinese-story-depicted-on-traditional-artworks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story scene here</a>. 
Other governors’ stories:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/chen-ping-dividing-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chen Ping Dividing Meat 陈平分肉</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/seasoning-a-stew-with-sour-prunes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seasoning a Stew with Sour Prunes 调梅和羹</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/night-revel-of-the-emperor-yang-of-the-sui-dynasty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Night Revel of the Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty 隋炀帝夜游西苑</a>

Bing Ji inquiring about a panting buffalo

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Bo Yi (or Boyi, 伯夷) and Shu Qi (or Shuqi, 叔齐) were sons of the ruler of Guzhu (孤竹), a vassal state of the Shang dynasty (商朝, 16th-11th cent. BCE). As the king was getting old, he wanted Shu Qi, his youngest son, to inherit his throne. However, when the father died, Shu Qi asked Bo Yi to take over the throne because he thought Bo Yi was the eldest brother and rightly deserved the position. Bo Yi declined the offer, saying that their father’s wishes should not be altered and then he left the country. Shu Qi followed and left the country, too. With their absence, another brother of theirs was enthroned.
While wandering along the coast of the North Sea, the two brothers heard that another vassal of Shang, the Zhou state, was an ideal place for a peaceful and quiet retired life and they set off to go there. When they arrived, the old ruler, Count of the Zhou had just passed away and his son enthroned himself as King Wu (武王) and posthumously gave his father the title of King Wen (文王). King Wu believed that he was the next person to have the mandate from Heaven to rule the Shang territories, instead of just being the Count of Zhou under the Shang.
With the veteran strategist the Grand Duke <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/jiang-ziya-was-discovered-angling-by-baron-of-zhou-by-the-wei-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jiang Ziya</a> (姜子牙, or Jiang Taigong 姜太公), King Wu was launching a military campaign to overthrow the Shang house, when the two brothers appeared in the middle of the road. They tried to stop King Wu’s army and admonished him, ‘Can it be called observing filial piety when one launches a military campaign before one has properly buried one’s diseased father? Can it be called a gentleman’s proper behaviour when a subject is to assassinate his lord?’ King Wu’s entourage then tried to kill the two but Grand Duke Jiang stopped them, saying, ‘They are righteous people.’ Then Mr Jiang helped the two move out of the way and the army marched on.
The story scene depicted on the famille verte Kangxi vase in the previous Jie Rui Tang Collection was first unveiled by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. He has since published two more articles discussing the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/bo-yi-and-shu-qi-stopping-the-zhou-army-analysis-of-traditional-chinese-figures-and-story-scenes-in-assisting-dating-of-antiques/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figural composition</a> in such theme and <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/has-jiang-ziyas-mount-got-anything-to-do-with-the-pere-davids-deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jiang Ziya’s riding</a> painted on the antique porcelain vases.
References:
<ol>
<li>倪亦斌：《武王子牙举旗伐商 伯夷叔齐叩马阻兵》，《读者欣赏》，兰州：读者出版传媒股份有限公司，2016-07，60–65 页</li>
<li>Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 22–25.</li>
</ol>

Bo Yi and Shu Qi Trying to Stop the Mighty Zhou Army

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Cao Guojiu (曹国舅) is one of the later comers among the legendary <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/eight-daoist-immortals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eight Daoist Immortals</a> and has the fewest colourful stories attached to him. During the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), a Daoist priest named Miao Shanshi (苗善時 fl. 1324) compiled a collection of anecdotes about <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-dongbin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Dongbin</a> (吕洞宾, or Lü Dongbin) to promote his inner alchemical (内丹) teachings. The book is entitled the Chronicle of the Divine Transformations and Wondrous Powers of the Imperial Lord of Pure Yang (纯阳帝君神化妙通纪 Chunyang Dijun Shenhua Miaotongji). In Volume Three of the book, there is the story of ‘the religious conversion of Cao Guojiu (度曹国舅第十七化)’:
Cao was said to have been the son of a cabinet minister and an ‘Imperial Brother-in-Law (国舅)’ of Emperor Renzong (仁宗 1010–1063) of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). Even though he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he loved studying classics and enjoyed a simple life. The emperor treasured his friendship and knowledge and often had audience with him. One day, Cao decided to leave the capital and his home to travel around the world at his own free will. The emperor gave Cao a gold token to protect himself. The token bore the words: ‘Wherever the imperial brother-in-law goes, the emperor were there, too’. Cao started travelling, begging alms along the way. When he was crossing the Yellow River on a ferry, the boatman asked him to pay the fare. Cao said that he was a travelling Daoist priest and did not have any money. Then the boatman threatened to throw him out of the boat so he had to produce the gold token, the only valuable thing on him. When the passengers on the boat saw the words inscribed on the token, they all exclaimed ‘Your Majesty!’ in awe. At this moment, a Daoist priest in blue clothes on the boat said to Cao, ‘Now that you’re a Daoist priest, how could you throw your weight around to scare people?!’ Cao bowed to him humbly, saying ‘I don’t dare to, Sir’. He then threw the gold token into the river. The blue-attired Daoist asked Cao to return to the shore and, after they walked miles and settled down under a large tree, he asked Cao ‘Do you know Lv Dongbin?’ Cao replied, ‘As a mundane being, how could I know such a famous immortal?’ The blue-attired Daoist said ‘I am he. I am here to convert you.’ And the rest is history.
Ever since the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), Cao Guojiu has been prototypically depicted as a middle-aged mandarin dressed in official robes with a winged hat and a pair of black boots. His established emblem is a set of clappers, which consists of two or more elongated bamboo or wooden pieces. This emblem is also used in the decorative motif of the Covet Eight Immortals (暗八仙 an ba xian). Since the clappers are used as accompanying instruments on stage, Cao has long been regarded as the patron deity of actors.
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image identification and literature research by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Cao Guojiu

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This is Scene Four of Act Four of <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (Xixiang Ji 西厢记), a famous Chinese drama written by playwright Wang Shifu 王实甫 (1250–1336) in Yuan dynasty.
After parting with his lover Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 in Pudong district, Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) travels about twenty li toward the capital before stopping to rest at Caoqiao Inn (草桥店). Exhausted, he has no appetite for food and falls asleep.
Deeply troubled by the recent separation from Yingying, Scholar Zhang dreams of her immediately. In the dream, she braves the long and treacherous journey, crossing a river and a bridge, and eventually arrives at Caoqiao Inn to meet him. Scholar Zhang welcomes her, and the two pour out their feelings to each other.
As they speak, a bandit bursts forth from the shadows, torch in hand, demanding the woman who has just crossed the river. Scholar Zhang, unflinching in the face of danger, rebukes the intruder with fierce words. Yet the bandit still seizes Yingying and carries her away.
Startled awake from this harrowing dream, Scholar Zhang pushes open the door. Outside, a shroud of mist fills the air, frost glitters across the ground, the morning stars faintly flicker, and a waning crescent moon lingers in the sky. With a heavy heart, he sighs, ‘A dream of love, and yet it fades unfulfilled.’ 
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber</a> 月下佳期
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying Listening to the Qin Zither Playing</a> 莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/farewell-feast-at-the-pavilion-from-romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farewell feast at the pavilion</a> 长亭送别 (哭宴)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Scholar Zhang’s startled dream at Caoqiao Inn

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The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival falls on the night of full moon in the eighth lunar month. Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, is usually associated with this family-union occasion, together with the festival food – the moon cake (月饼). A legend recorded in an ancient Chinese book, The Huainanzi (淮南子 The Discourses of the Huainan Masters), compiled around 139 BCE, says that a beautiful girl called Chang’e (嫦娥) has been living on the moon for thousands of years. Chang’e’s husband was the legendary archer, Hou Yi (or Houyi 后羿), and he was given the elixir of immortality by the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/birthday-party-of-the-queen-mother-of-the-west/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Mother of the West</a> (西王母 Xiwangmu) for his merits. Out of boredom and curiosity, Chang’e tasted the elixir. As a result, she turned into an immortal. Her body became so light that she ascended to heaven, ending up in the nearest planet, the moon. On the moon, there was a huge <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/osmanthus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">osmanthus </a>tree, a toad, and a hare grinding the tree bark with a pestle in a mortar to prepare some magic cure. The adorable hare became Chang’e’s loyal companion. Chang’e also gradually evolved into the role of the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/the-legend-of-chang-e-the-moon-goddess-and-her-bestowing-osmanthus-blossom-to-scholars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">osmanthus sprig giver</a> from the Moon Palace.
In one of the earliest story scenes of Chang’e’s extraordinary feat, she has a human body and a <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/dragon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dragon</a>’s rear end. The moon is marked by the toad in the middle. Both Chang’e and the moon are floating among vapour clouds and ball-like stars and planets. This stone carving was excavated from a Han-dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) tomb in the outskirts of Nanyang city, Henan province in 1964.
On a Tang-dynasty (618–907) bronze mirror in the collection of the <a href="https://www.npm.gov.tw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Palace Museum</a>, Taipei, Chang’e, her entourage, and specific environment attributes are fully displayed. Chang’e appears as a beautiful fairy in a silk gown with sashes flying around her body. The hare has his set of a pestle and a mortar beside him. On the right, there is the huge osmanthus tree, under which is the toad, symbolising the moon, the embodiment of the essence of the yin energy (阴精). The <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tortoise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tortoise </a>is a <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longevity </a>symbol in traditional China because they were believed to be able to live for a thousand years by the ancients. It was added to the scene as the knob of the mirror, since scenes involving immortals are often used as longevity symbols and thus birthday presents for elders.
During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Chang’e was still used to adorn daily utensils and display ornaments to imbue the environment with auspicious aura. The cute hare adds femininity to the design and therefore was popular in women’s inner chambers.
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literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>
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Related symbolic motif:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/plucking-a-sprig-of-osmanthus-blossom-from-the-moon-palace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plucking a Sprig of Osmanthus Blossom from the Moon Palace 蟾宫折桂</a>

Chang’e the Moon Goddess

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This is from Scene Three of Act One of the Chinese classic popular drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) was immediately struck by lovesickness after seeing Miss Cui Yingying at the first sight. He decided to rent a room at the Monastery of Universal Salvation 普救寺 in order to wait for an opportunity to get close to his goddess. Scholar Zhang inquired from a monk that Yingying would go to the garden to burn incense every night, so he hid behind the rockery in the garden and waited.
When Yingying came out of the corner door, Scholar Zhang saw that her fair face under the moon was even more beautiful than when he first saw her. He couldn’t help feeling love in his heart, so he composed a poem and read loudly:
The moonlight melts into the night, 
Silent in the Spring, flowers in the shade. 
Under the moon so bright, 
Where is the beautiful maid?
（月色溶溶夜，花阴寂寂春；如何临皓魄，不见月中人。）
Yingying heard it and was touched by this refreshing poem. She composed another one to rhyme with his:
The orchid boudoir has been long lonely, 
spending youth in vain. 
I reckon that the poem chanter 
should pity the sighing maid. 
(兰闺久寂寞，无事度芳春；料得行吟者，应怜长叹人。)
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Scholar Zhang and Yingying deepened their understanding through exchanging verses that night, and developed a sense of sympathy for each other, which laid their emotional foundation for having similar interests.
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story scene description by <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓 (禅关假馆)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/repudiation-of-the-billet-doux/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Repudiation of the Billet-Doux</a> 张生跳墙 (乘夜踰垣)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber</a> 月下佳期
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a> 莺莺听琴
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden

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This is Scene three of Act Four of The Romance of the Western Chamber (Xixiang Ji 西厢记), a famous Chinese drama written by playwright Wang Shifu 王实甫 (1250–1336) in Yuan dynasty.
Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞, also known as Scholar Zhang), and Madame Cui’s daughter, Cui Yingying 崔莺莺, were deeply in love with each other. (Refer to <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of Love</a>.) However, Madame Cui insisted that Scholar Zhang travel to the capital to sit the imperial examination, declaring that only upon achieving official recognition could he return to marry her daughter. Thus, a group of people accompanied Scholar Zhang to a pavilion in the countryside to bid him farewell as he embarked on his journey to the capital.
Zhang Sheng’s horse moved slowly, while Yingying’s carriage hurriedly followed behind. Yingying lamented, saying,
Beneath the azure, cloudy sky,
Golden blooms spread far and wide.  
The west wind blows, geese southward stray,  
From the north, they wing away.  
Who dyes the frosted woods at dawn,  
With drunken hues so brightly drawn?  
It’s the tears of those who part,  
Falling from a longing heart.
(碧云天, 黄花地, 西风紧, 北雁南飞
晓来谁染霜林醉? 总是离人泪)
Madame Cui ordered Hongniang 红娘 to fetch wine, instructing Yingying to offer the cup to Scholar Zhang. After drinking, Scholar Zhang sighed, ‘I have experienced the bitterness of longing these past days, but now I realise that the sorrow of parting is tenfold greater.’
Yingying urged Scholar Zhang to take care of himself. In return, Scholar Zhang vowed his unwavering devotion, declaring, ‘Who in this world could compare to you, my lady? Beyond you, Zhang Gong could never love another.’ 
At last, the moment of parting arrived. Scholar Zhang and Yingying exchanged tender farewells before setting off on their separate paths, their hearts heavy with longing and hope.
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Story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
See all episodes in the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a>
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Other figural stories on Chinese artworks:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-dream-by-the-qiantang-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The dream by the Qiantang River</a> 钱塘梦
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/a-startled-romantic-dream-in-the-back-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Startled Romantic Dream in the Back Garden</a> 杜丽娘游园惊梦
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sima-xiangru-inscribing-on-the-bridge-gateway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sima Xiangru inscribing on the bridge gateway</a> 相如题桥

Farewell feast at the pavilion

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Young Chen Ping (陈平, ?–178 BCE), later a minister of Western Han dynasty, as being an exemplar of fairness in his everyday work. According to Sima Qian’s (司马迁, 145BCE &#8211; ?) famous work Historical Records – Prime Minister Chen’s Family (史记 &#8211; 陈丞相世家 ), one day, Chen Ping’s village held a ceremony to offer sacrifice to the Earth God. He was entrusted as the arbitrator to divide the meat offerings among attending villagers after the ceremony. As he divided the meat offerings in very even quantities, a village elder remarked that Chen was very impartial, to which he replied ‘Should I one day take rule of the land, I would rule it as impartially as I split the meat offerings.’
The story scene depicted in the centre of the Kangxi plate in the collection of the British Museum was first unveiled by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. His article with historical pictorial and literary evidence is published <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/misinterpretation-of-chinese-paintings-chen-ping-dividing-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Chen Ping Dividing Meat

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This is a scene from a popular traditional play ‘A Set of Interlocking Stratagems (连环计)’.
The war lord Dong Zhuo (董卓, ? – 192 CE) became a senior minister in the Han court. His tendency to dominate the young sovereign, Emperor Xian of Han (汉献帝, 181–234 CE), gave other ministers cause for concern. They asked Wang Yun (王允), a high-ranking official, to devise a stratagem to get rid of Dong Zhuo in the interests of the state. Wang Yun was burdened with the task, with no appetite to eat and no desire to sleep. One evening, when Wang Yun was cudgeling his brains for a perfect plan on his way to the back garden, he suddenly saw his adopted daughter, Diao Chan (貂蝉), burning joss sticks (焚香) to pray for her lost fiancé Lv Bu (吕布, also Lü Bu), who had been separated from her during the war and had become one of Dong Zhuo’s right-hand men. Wang Yun’s face lit up and came up with a perfect plan. The following plot is represented on a series of late Ming to Qing dynasty porcelain wares.
He first invited Lv Bu to his house and reunited him with Diao Chan. On the next day, Wang Yun invited Dong Zhuo for a dinner at home with Diao Chan serving the food, knowing that Dong would drool over her and fall into his trap. Sure enough, Dong Zhuo immediately fell for Diao Chan and took her home on the spot. Then Wang Yun told Lv Bu that Dong Zhuo had married Diao Chan by force. Being Dong Zhuo’s subordinate, Lv Bu had to repress his jealousy and anger. Lv Bu had been tormented emotionally for days before he finally managed to meet with Diao Chan in the back garden of Dong&#8217;s residence. Dong Zhuo discovered Lv Bu’s absence and grew suspicious. He rushed back and saw the couple together. A wedge thus was lodged between Dong Zhuo and his first lieutenant Lv Bu, which eventually caused Dong’s downfall.
References:
<ul>
<li>Ni, Yibin (倪亦斌)《王允貂蝉合谋连环计，董卓吕布翻脸成仇敌》, Reader’s Taste《读者欣赏》 (October 2017): 114-119</li>
<li>Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, p. 28</li>
</ul>

Diao Chan Praying in front of Burning Incense

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Dong Zhuo (董卓 d. 192), a tyrannic warlord rising to power at the end of the Han dynasty, caused great concern among courtiers and officials. Wang Yun (王允), the Minister Over the Masses (司徒 Situ), was entrusted to figure out a plan to bring him down. Dong Zhuo was particularly powerful because he managed to ally with the invincible young general <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-bus-archery-stunt-at-the-camp-gate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Bu</a> (吕布 Lü Bu), who he had adopted as his son. Wang Yun thought if he could open a rift between the two, then it would be the end of Dong.
Wang Yun first invited Lv Bu to his house to reunite him with his long-lost sweetheart <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/diao-chan-praying-in-front-of-burning-incense/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diaochan</a> (貂蝉), who was then in Wang’s custody. The couple rekindled the passion immediately and could not wait to be together again. Then, Wang Yun treated Dong for dinner at home during which the lecherous lord was drooling over Diaochan, duly falling into Wang’s trap. Leaping at the chance, Wang Yun offered to marry Diaochan to Dong and Dong readily accepted.
When Lv Bu learned that Dong now had Diaochan in his back chambers, he was furious but had to repress his anger. One day, Lv Bu seized an opportunity to have a rendezvous with Diaochan in the back garden of Dong’s residence when Dong was in audience with the emperor. Realising Lv Bu’s absence from his side, Dong hurried back. Seeing the young couple together in the Phoenix Pavilion, Dong flipped his wig and charged at Lv Bu with Lv’s halberd. The seed of dissension was planted between the two. Without his right-hand man’s support, Dong’s power was weakened, which eventually resulted in his downfall.
One of the earliest sources of this story scene is found in a Yuan-dynasty (1271–1368) play entitled The Stratagem of Interlocking Rings (连环计 Lian Huan Ji) involving the intriguing plot of ménage à trois. The play by an anonymous author predates Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义), one of the four great novels of Chinese classical literature, whose earliest preface dated 1494. Chapter Eight of the novel has full-fledged account of this story.
Reference:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ni, Yibin</a> (倪亦斌)《王允貂蝉合谋连环计，董卓吕布翻脸成仇敌》, Reader’s Taste《读者欣赏》 (October 2017): 114-119

The Couple’s Tryst in the Phoenix Pavilion Making Dong Zhuo Fly into a Fury

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‘True love conquers all’ is the theme of the <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/peony/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peony </a>Pavilion (牡丹亭 Mudan Ting), a musical play of fifty-five scenes written by Tang Xianzu (汤显祖, 1550–1616) in Ming dynasty. Also known as The Romance of Return of Soul (还魂记 Huanhun Ji), the play contains a supernatural love story between Du Liniang (杜丽娘), the only daughter of the Nan’an prefect (南安太守) Mr. Du, and Liu Mengmei (柳梦梅), a civil-service examination candidate. At the beginning of the play, there was a passionate rendezvous of the two in the form of Liniang’s dream in the back garden with vigorously budding bushes during a warm spring afternoon. The encounter was so indelible to the adolescent girl that she eventually died of longing for her ‘dream’ lover. The play narrates how the couple overcome all the obstacles along the way to their union. Their experiences transcend not only time and space but also life and death.
The story scene depicted in the centre of the Shunzhi bowl in the Sir Michael Butler collection and the Kangxi dish in the collection of the V&amp;A Museum was first unveiled by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. His research article with pictorial and literary evidence is available for view <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/who-is-the-figure-on-the-cloud-in-the-dream-scene-of-the-peony-pavilion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a>
References:
<ol>
<li>倪亦斌:《明末时尚女子的情色告白》,《艺术世界》, 上海: 上海文艺出版社, 2004-03, pp.72–73.</li>
<li>倪亦斌:《明末时尚女子的情色告白》,《看图说瓷》, 北京: 中华书局, 2008, pp.1–10.</li>
</ol>

A Startled Romantic Dream in the Back Garden

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This scene is from one of the most famous Chinese dramatic works, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber </a>西厢记, which was written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (王实甫 1260–1336). The play tells the story of a secret love affair between Zhang Gong (张珙, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) and Cui Yingying 崔莺莺, the daughter of former Prime Minister Cui of the Tang court. The lovers are aided by a clever maid, Hong Niang 红娘, who helps them overcome daunting obstacles such as an imperious mother, a prior betrothal, and an attempted abduction by a cruel bandit.
This scene is from Scene One in Act One, which describes the first encounter of the lovers in a temple. Zhang is going to the capital to attend the highest civil service examinations. On the way he pays a visit to the nearby Salvation Monastery. In the monastery, a monk named Fa Cong 法聪 shows him around. Zhang meets Cui and her maid in front of the Buddha hall. Startled by Cui’s beauty, Zhang can’t keep his eyes off her. However, seeing a male stranger nearby, Hong Niang advises her lady Yingying to leave immediately.
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image identification and story scene description by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>  
More discussion on Scholar Zhang’s gaze at Yingying is available in this blog <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/gaze-from-scholar-zhang-and-the-response-from-lady-cui-yingying/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a> 莺莺听琴
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Feihu besieging the monastery with a gang of bandits</a> 彪贼起兵 (乱倡绿林)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)

Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying’s encounter in the Salvation Monastery

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The figures of Three Star Gods are personified representation of <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/good-fortune/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Good Fortune</a>, Prosperity, and <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Longevity</a>. They originated from Chinese people’s worship of the stars in the southern sky. During the time of Lichun 立春 (the Beginning of Spring), there are three stars that are close in distance and form a straight line. These three stars are commonly named as ‘福’ (Fú), ‘禄’ (Lù), and ‘寿’ (Shòu). They are personified as auspicious star immortals who respectively govern one’s blessings, official career, and lifespan.
‘福’ fu primarily represents five types of blessings (五福 wu fu). According to the Book of Documents (书经 Shujing) in the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE), the Five Blessings are ‘longevity 寿 shou’, ‘wealth 富 fu’, ‘wellbeing and peace 康宁 kang ning’, ‘love of virtue 攸好德 you hao de’, and ‘natural death 考终命 kao zhong ming’. The Fu Star Fuxing 福星 is represented in human form of a star deity holding objects like a ruyi (如意, a symbol of good fortune) or a yuanbao (元宝, an ancient Chinese currency).
The ‘禄’ Lu Star Luxing 禄星 is in charge of literary success and official salary. In ancient China, scholars took imperial examinations to become officials. Once a scholar passed exams, he could hold an official position and receive a salary. Therefore, attaining a high-ranking official position with a substantial income became the aspiration of many scholars. The Lu Star was revered for his governing of success, fame, official position, and emolument, as well as his blessing of having many descendants. He is often signified by holding a child.
The ‘寿’ Shou Star is also known as the Old Man of the South Pole (南极仙翁), or Shoulao (寿老, elderly man of longevity). His features are white whiskers as well as a high and protruding forehead. He usually holds a long cane in one hand, and sometimes a peach in the other. He is often accompanied by a deer and/or a crane, both being symbols of longevity. There may also be lingzhi (灵芝, fungi or mushrooms) and longevity rocks in the surrounding, emphasising the good wish of a long life.
In traditional Chinese decorative art, there are various methods to portray the theme of Good Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity. Apart from depicting the three deity figures directly, using a combination of other motifs to infer the three stars is a clever way to express the auspicious wishes. Homophonic images such as <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/bat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bats </a>(蝠 fu) and <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deer </a>(鹿 lu) are applied to pun on Fu and Lu Stars, and <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cranes</a>, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/peach-fruit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peaches</a>, lingzhi, pine trees, or longevity rocks are used to symbolise ‘longevity’.

Three Star Gods

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The true name of Guiguzi (鬼谷子) remains unknown due to insufficient historical records, although some suggest the name ‘Wang Yi’. Legend has it that Guiguzi was a figure from the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), renowned as both a recluse and a political thinker, strategist, and Daoist. He is considered the founder of the School of Diplomacy. He earned the name ‘Guiguzi’, meaning ‘The Sage of the Ghost Valley’, due to his seclusion in the Ghost Valley (鬼谷).
According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, 史记), the notable strategists Su Qin and Zhang Yi were his disciples. Later generations added that the famous Warring States generals Sun Bin (孙膑) and Pang Juan (庞涓) were also among his eminent students.
The story of ‘Guiguzi Descending the Mountain’ is a fictional account originating from the Yuan dynasty woodblock print The Posthumous Collection of the Annals of the Seven States of Qi. It narrates an episode from the Warring States period in which Sun Bin, serving the State of Qi, was imprisoned by the State of Yan during a conflict between the two. At the persistent request of Qi’s envoy, Su Dai (苏代), Guiguzi descended the mountain in a chariot drawn by two tigers to rescue his disciple.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other figural stories：
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/jiang-ziya-was-discovered-angling-by-baron-of-zhou-by-the-wei-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jiang Ziya Was Discovered Angling by Baron of Zhou by the Wei River</a> 姜太公渭滨垂钓 / 文王访贤
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lord-yellowstone-teaching-zhang-liang-art-of-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lord Yellowstone teaching Zhang Liang art of war</a> 黄石授书 (圯下传书)

Guiguzi descending the mountain

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Guo Ziyi (郭子仪 697–781), posthumously bestowed the title Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang (汾阳忠武王) because of his birth place and his contribution to the court, was the greatest Tang-dynasty general. He played the key role in military campaigns against the Uyghur Khaganate and Tibetan Empire, enemies constantly threatening China from the north-west. After Guo Ziyi and his army successfully stabilised the frontier for years, the rumour about the death of the elderly hero disquieted the enemy around the year 765. The Turfan and the Uyghur tribes joined together, trying to invade the Central Plains (中原). The veteran Guo Ziyi had to be summoned again by the court to deal with the tough situation. What’s worse, he was given only a small army of ten thousand soldiers to confront a combined force of three hundred thousand.
Under the circumstances, Guo Ziyi staged a genius scene. He believed that utter sincerity could move even gods, let alone the Turfan and the Uyghur tribes. General Guo asked his lieutenants and army to stay put. Then, with this conviction and his unmatched valour, he went to the camp of the mighty enemy with only a small entourage. When the tribal chieftains saw the legendary general Guo in person, appearing without his armours on, they were all awed with deep respect. They dismounted and disarmed themselves, kowtowing to him, saying, ‘It is really you, our father (果吾父也)!’
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
Read Dr Ni’s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-did-guo-ziyi-deter-the-colossal-enemy-army-without-fighting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>for more interesting discussion regarding the depiction and outfit of General Guo.

Guo Ziyi Deterring the Enemy Without Armour

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In this scene, there are several Chinese <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longevity</a> symbols such as the <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crane</a>, the generic immortal, the pine tree, and the <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deer</a>, etc. However, the proper meaning of this particular scene is <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/more-than-a-simple-assemblage-of-individual-symbols-of-longevity-discussion-on-a-chinese-pictorial-narrative-scene-of-hai-wu-tian-chou/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not a simple assemblage of individual symbols</a>. It is a snapshot of a coherent narrative that has been well-loved and widely consumed in the visual oeuvre that represents the Chinese longevity ideal.
The literary origin of the scene can be traced back to an anecdote collected in Notes by Dongpo (东坡志林), compiled by a prominent man of letters of the Song dynasty, Su Shi (苏轼, 1037-1101). During one chance meeting of three geriatric men, the topic of age was broached. Each one of them tried their best to exaggerate his own great age. The second speaker famously boasted, ‘After every cycle of the sea drying up and becoming mulberry fields, I put a strip of <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/bamboo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bamboo </a>in my house as a counter and now the strips have already filled ten of the rooms.’ Later, this dramatic detail evolved into a classic allusion to longevity, a popular dream cherished by all people in China. Pictorial representations of this dramatic moment were invented and elaborated into different versions to adorn birthday presents of all kinds.
Initially, the title of the scene is, literally: ‘A bamboo counter is being added to the house in the sea (海屋添筹 hai wu tian chou)’. The first two characters of the phrase resulted from compressing the paragraph spoken by the second speaker in the story into an abbreviation consisting of the first and the last characters 海屋 hai wu (‘海水变桑田时, 吾辄下一筹, 尔来吾筹已满十间屋’). The coined two-character phrase ‘海屋 hai wu’ now means a ‘pavilion at sea’, serving as the first two characters in the set phrase. The rest two characters of the phrase ‘添筹 tianchou’ denotes the action (of a crane) adding a bamboo strip as a counter’. Thus, the four-character phrase alludes to the second speaker’s words in the original story.
During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), pun rebus designs became more and more popular in folk decorative arts. The last character of the phrase ‘筹 chou’ for ‘bamboo strip counter’, acquired a pun on ‘寿 shou’, the Chinese character for ‘longevity’. Then, the phrase virtually conveys the meaning of a birthday wish: ‘May the length of your life be eternally prolonged (海屋添寿 hai wu tian shou)’. One of the earliest mentions of this pun phrase in literature can be found in Section 22 in the second part of the book Tao Ya (匋雅), or ‘Notes of Chinese Best Pottery and Porcelain’, compiled by Chen Liu (陈浏) and published in 1910.
This research article is written by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>.
Literature: 
<ol>
<li>Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni, A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection: Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, 2017, p. 84-85.</li>
<li>倪亦斌：《仙鹤寿桃祝寿碗 暗藏海屋添筹图》，《读者欣赏》，兰州：读者出版传媒股份有限公司，2018-01，110-117 页</li>
</ol>

May the length of your life be eternally prolonged!

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This is Scene Two of Act Two of the Chinese classic drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
In the preceding chapters, the local bandit <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Feihu had besieged the monastery</a>, intending to seize Cui Yingying by force. In response, Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞, also known as Scholar Zhang 张生) sought the help of his friend, General White Horse Du Que, who successfully defeated Sun Feihu and lifted the siege. Having benefited from Scholar Zhang’s efforts, Madame Cui decided to host a banquet to express her gratitude.
Overjoyed, Scholar Zhang believed that Madame Cui would honour her previous promise—made before the battle—to betroth him to Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺, her beautiful daughter, whom he had long admired. Rising early, he dressed meticulously, eagerly awaiting an invitation from Yingying’s maid, Hongniang 红娘.
Hongniang, too, found Scholar Zhang intelligent, refined, and deeply devoted to Yingying, believing they were a perfect match. When Scholar Zhang hesitated, worrying that he had no betrothal gifts to offer Madame Cui, Hongniang reassured him. She explained that since he had rendered a great service by repelling the bandits, Madame Cui was truly grateful. The banquet was an intimate gathering, with no unrelated monks invited—only Scholar Zhang himself. Therefore, there was no need for him to decline, as ancient wisdom states: ‘Respect is best shown through action (恭敬不如从命)’. (See example in the first image with Chinese characters written in the centre of the dish). Scholar Zhang should simply attend the banquet without hesitation.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
See all episodes here: <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a>

Hongniang’s Banquet Invitation

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Zhang Liang (张良, d. 189 BCE) was an ambitious young man and was looking for opportunities to overturn the emperor at that time. He ran into a guru strategist Lord Yellowstone (黄石公 Huang Shigong) by the Yi Bridge 圯桥, where Lord Yellowstone tested Zhang three times for his humility and perseverance before taking him as his protégé. (see <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhang-liang-fetching-shoe-on-yi-bridge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhang Liang Fetching Shoe on Yi Bridge</a>)
Lord Yellowstone was impressed by Zhang eventually, and willingly passed on his books and taught Zhang the ancient wisdoms and art of war.
Later, Zhang helped the founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang (刘邦, d. 195 BCE), with the invincible strategies and became one of Liu’s top three lieutenants.
The figural scenes here are depicting Zhang Liang receiving or reading the book given by Lord Yellowstone.
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images on porcelain: first deciphered by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>
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Related research article:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/why-is-the-scene-of-a-man-holding-a-shoe-popular-in-chinese-antique-artworks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why is the scene of a man holding a shoe popular in Chinese antique artworks?</a>

Lord Yellowstone teaching Zhang Liang art of war

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This is Scene Two of Act Two of the Chinese classic popular drama Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
Sun Feihu 孙飞虎, a local bandit, was attracted to Miss Cui Yingying (崔莺莺)’s beauty and wanted to abduct her from the Buddhist monastery where her temporary residence was with her family. Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞, nickname Scholar Zhang 张生), who fell in love with Yingying, was also stuck in the temple. As the monastery was surrounded by Sun’s army, Yingying’s mother promised that whoever defeated the Sun’s army could marry her daughter.
Scholar Zhang came up with an idea of asking help from his childhood friend Du Que 杜确, who was known as ‘General White Horse (白马将军)’. He was leading a troop of a hundred thousand warriors and stationed at Puguan Pass 蒲关, about forty to fifty miles away. Scholar Zhang was confident that if his letter for help was sent to General White Horse, the general would be able to come to the rescue and defeat the bandit. However, Zhang Gong himself, as a weak scholar, was unable to break through the heavy siege of the army to deliver the letter. Who would be the most suitable person then? The head abbot, Fa Ben 法本, thought of a monk named Huiming 惠明 who was known for indulging in food and alcohol, and neglecting Buddhist practices. Sure enough, with the right words, Huiming was excited and keen to take up the task. On his way out, he promised good news upon his return.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓 (禅关假馆)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Huiming delivering a letter for help

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Ji Zha (季札, 576 BCE – 485 BCE) was the youngest son of King Shoumeng of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period. According to Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Wu Taibo, Ji Zha was enfeoffed in Yanling (present-day Changzhou, Jiangsu), which is why he was also known as Yanling Jizi (延陵季子).
During one diplomatic mission, Ji Zha passed through the State of Xu. The ruler of Xu greatly admired Ji Zha’s sword, yet out of courtesy, he refrained from expressing his desire openly. Ji Zha understood the ruler’s silent wish but, pressed by the responsibilities of his assignment, could not offer the sword immediately.
After completing his duties and returning home, Ji Zha deliberately journeyed back to Xu—only to learn that the ruler had died. Saddened, he removed his treasured sword and hung it on a tree beside the ruler’s tomb before departing.
One of his attendants asked, ‘The ruler of Xu has already passed away—who is the sword for now?’ 
Ji Zha replied, ‘The moment I saw that he desired it, I resolved to give it to him. Why should I break my word simply because he is no longer alive?’
This poignant story of loyalty and honour has been passed down through generations. It continues to resonate in Chinese culture as a timeless example of integrity, sincerity, and moral resolve.
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scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>

Ji Zha Hanging the Sword

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Jia Chang (贾昌 712–810) from the Tang Dynasty was renowned for his exceptional skills in training <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/rooster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roosters </a>for cockfighting. His legendary story is recorded in the Extensive Records of the Taiping Era (太平广记 Taiping Guangji).
Li Longji (李隆基 685–762), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗), had a passion for cockfighting during his youth. After ascending the throne, he built a grand chicken yard between the two palaces, raising over a thousand roosters with golden feathers and iron-like claws.
At the age of seven, Jia Chang displayed a remarkable ability to understand the language of birds. Unable to afford real chickens, he played with wooden ones, making them appear lifelike. Once, while Emperor Xuanzong was on a tour, he witnessed Jia Chang’s extraordinary performance and immediately summoned him to the palace to take care of the chicken yard.
Jia Chang quickly became familiar with the chicken flocks and could accurately assess their strength, courage, and health. On occasions such as the Emperor’s birthday, New Year’s Day, and the Qingming Festival (清明节), grand celebrations were held, with cockfighting being one of the most exciting events. During these performances, Jia Chang would wear a jade-encrusted gold coronet, clothes with embroidered sleeves, silk trousers, and hold a bell to clear the way. The roosters would enter the arena in an orderly fashion. Under Jia Chang’s command, signalled by his whip, the roosters would fluff their feathers and fight fiercely. Once the victor was determined, Jia Chang would order them to stop. With a gesture of his whip, the roosters would regroup, the winners leading and the defeated following, marching back to the chicken yard in perfect order, like a flock of geese in flight.
Due to his extraordinary skills, Jia Chang was widely known as the ‘Miracle Chicken Boy’ at the age of thirteen.
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The story scene depicted on the Kangxi dish in the collection of the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum was deciphered by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
24 Dec 2024
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Related Pun Rebus Pictures:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-my-lord-live-up-to-one-hundred-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May my Lord live up to one hundred years</a> 三公百寿
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-do-well-in-exams-and-enjoy-wealth-and-prestige/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you do well in exams and enjoy wealth and prestige</a> 功名富贵
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-your-wealth-and-privilege-expectable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May your wealth and privilege expectable</a> 富贵有期

Jia Chang training roosters for cockfighting

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When the Baron of the Zhou vassal state (周西伯) did a divination with oracle bones for his imminent hunting trip, the message came: ‘You will not catch a small bear or a large bear, but a teacher will be presented to you by the divine power.’ After bathing and fasting for three days, the baron arrived at the River Wei, he saw an elderly man sitting on a grassy mat with a fishing rod beside him at the bank. The baron respectfully bowed to him and politely asked him to be his mentor. He invited the man to sit in his vehicle on the way back to the capital. This elderly man was Jiang Ziya (姜子牙), the famous sage strategist in ancient China. Later, when the baron passed away, his son, who posthumously bestowed his father the title of King Wen (文王), called himself King Wu (武王). With the able assistance of Jiang, who was then respectfully called Jiang Taigong (姜太公), King Wu launched a military campaign to overthrow the ruling Shang house (商, ca. 1600 BCE–1046 BCE) and established the new Zhou dynasty (1046 BCE–256 BCE), which lasted about eight hundred years.
There is another story about Jiang Ziya on his <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/bo-yi-and-shu-qi-trying-to-stop-the-mighty-zhou-army/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assistance to King Wu</a> in launching a military campaign to overthrow the Shang house. Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> also wrote an article on the identification of Jiang’s famous yet mysterious <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/has-jiang-ziyas-mount-got-anything-to-do-with-the-pere-davids-deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ride</a>.
References:
<ol>
<li>倪亦斌：《子牙垂钓遇文王 明君得辅破殷商》，《读者欣赏》，兰州：读者出版传媒股份有限公司，2016-05，58–63 页</li>
<li>Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 92-93.</li>
</ol>

Jiang Ziya Was Discovered Angling by Baron of Zhou by the Wei River

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According to Confucian ethics, a man’s ambition and pride need to be balanced by humility.
General Lian Po (廉颇, active 298–236 BC) and Minister Lin Xiangru (蔺相如, active ca. 279 BC) were colleagues in the government of the state of Zhao. When Lin Xiangru received a higher appointment than Lian Po’s, Lian Po felt it was unjustified. He swore, ‘When I meet Lin, I shall humiliate him!’ Hearing this, Lin deliberately kept out of Lian Po’s way. His followers did not understand his response and thought he was a coward until Lin explained to them, ‘When two <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tigers </a>fight, one will perish. I am behaving this way in order to put our country’s interests before private feuds so that we can have enough strength to survive threats from our enemies.’ When Lian Po heard this, he came to Lin’s residence and begged for forgiveness. The two then became friends for life.
In Fig 1 &amp; 3, General Lian Po was apologising to Lin in front of the King of Zhao, while the other ministers present congratulate the king for his luck in being surrounded by such sensible courtiers.
image identification and story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>

General Lian Po and Minister Lin Xiangru burying the hatchet

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This is a story of a brave woman who boldly exercised her rhetorical competence, managed to correct the erring ruler and saved her husband from execution. The story of The Wife of the Bow Maker in the State of Jin (晋弓工妻) is recorded in Chapter 6 Convincing and Perceptive (辩通传), Biographies of Exemplary Women (列女传 Lienv zhuan), the earliest extant book for moral education of women in China.
Duke Ping of Jin (晋平公, r. 557-532 BCE) was the sovereign of the State of Jin. Once he ordered a bow to be made for his personal use and the job took three years to finish. The duke happily received the new bow and tried it out with great expectation. Wooden strips for writing at that time were used as the testing target. The duke was sorely dismayed when the arrow did not pierce even one layer of the wooden strips. The duke wanted to have the bow maker executed for his utter incompetence. As soon as the bow maker’s wife heard about the news, she rushed to the palace. In front of the duke, the bow maker’s wife demonstrated her brilliant mastery of reasoning skills. First, she quoted famous benevolent anecdotes practised by past admirable rulers. Second, she enumerated all the best materials her husband had managed to select over a very long time in order to make this finest bow. Third, she pointed out that it is absolutely absurd to blame the bow for the previous ineffective shooting since it was none other than the result of the duke’s misuse of the bow. She then went on teaching the duke the right way of holding the bow and drawing the string and the right moment to release the arrow. The duke followed her advice. This time, the arrow hit the target and went right through seven layers of wooden strips! The reputation of the bow maker was instantly restored and the duke rewarded him 60 taels of gold.
The story scene depicted in the middle of the Kangxi plate currently collected by V&amp;A Museum was first unveiled by Dr Yibin Ni. His article with historical evidence is published <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/new-research-on-a-rare-story-scene-on-chinese-porcelain-the-wife-of-the-bow-maker-of-jin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

The Wife of the Bow Maker in the State of Jin

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When the old duke of Jin (晋) passed away, his heir was still in the cradle. It was with the powerful minister Zhao Dun (赵盾)’s support that he succeeded in ascending the throne. Unfortunately, the young duke, who was posthumously given the title Duke Ling of Jin, Jìn Líng Gōng (晋灵公, ? – 607 BCE), became increasingly the opposite of an ideal ruler. When the righteous Zhao Dun tried to alter the young duke’s misbehaviours by repeated remonstrances, he aroused resentment in the duke’s heart, who subsequently made several attempts on his life.
Once he made the excuse to invite Zhao to drink with him while soldiers were gathered to ambush him. Zhao’s retainer Timi Ming (提弥明) realised the plot and rushed to the table to rescue his master. When Zhao was supported to leave the place, the duke sent his immense dog to attack him. Timi was a valiant fighter and he smote the brute and put an end to it.
This scene served as a classic admonishing example for statesmen and rulers alike.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s research article – <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/how-a-massacre-in-ancient-china-influenced-european-literature-painting-and-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How a massacre in ancient China influenced European literature, painting and theatre</a> in <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blogs</a> section.

Duke Ling of Jin Sending His Dog to Attack Zhao Dun

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The young duke of the State of Jin (晋) who was posthumously given the title Duke Ling of Jin, Jìn Líng Gōng (晋灵公, ? – 607 BCE), has been known as a ‘ruler who does not deserve his title (bu jun 不君)’. His despotic behaviour was enumerated in the records by historiographers. For example, he levied heavy taxes to build more fancy palaces; he had the chef killed only because he didn’t cook his bear paws soft enough; and, when he was bored with shooting birds and animals in his ever-expanding parks, he whimsically indulged in shooting his ministers and pedestrians with catapult slingshots from his palatial terrace and enjoyed watching the victims suffering from the hazard and ducking the pellets.
image identification and story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni  </a>
Read more in Dr Ni’ research article ‘<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/how-a-massacre-in-ancient-china-influenced-european-literature-painting-and-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How a massacre in ancient China influenced European literature, painting and theatre</a>’.

Duke Ling of Jin shooting pedestrians with pellets

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In the Buddhist legend, at the beginning there was nothing but water in the world. Vajrapani ordered his disciples to scoop the ocean to see what was hidden there. The sun appeared in the first scoop and Vajrapani fixed the sun in the sky to light the day. In the second scoop, there appeared the moon and Vajrapani placed it in the sky so that it can brighten the night. There might be a connection between this legend and a women’s leisure activity in ancient China, recorded on the surface of various forms of artworks. A well-dressed lady standing in front of a water basin trying to scoop the reflection of the moon in a garden setting during the full moon days, waited on by some maids nearby.

Scooping the moon from the golden basin

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Ancient literature shows that Laozi (老子, also known as Lao Tzu) served as the Keeper of the Imperial Archives of the Eastern Zhou court (东周, 770-258 BCE). He must have greatly benefited from the perk of the job &#8211; the easy access to the best stock of classics written on bamboo slips at the time and became so learned that even Confucius (孔子, 551-479 BCE), the paragon of the Chinese sages, consulted him several times on matters concerning rituals of mourning and funeral and spoke very highly of him.
The legendary meeting between Laozi and Confucius was first pictorially presented during the Eastern Han period (东汉, 25-220 CE), in which the two sages were usually bowing to each other with the precocious boy prodigy Xiang Tuo (项橐) standing between them. However, this early simple characterisation of the famous meeting was taken over by a new composition of the two literary giants surrounded by their own pupils and servants in late imperial China. One surviving early example attributed to the Yuan painter Shi Gang (史杠, active around 1352) staged the conference among huge jumbles of rocks in an austere landscape.
See images of Laozi on the signature buffalo <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/laozi-riding-on-a-black-buffalo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>and more discussion about pictorial parody of Laozi riding an ox in this <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/appreciation-of-chinese-visual-art-depiction-of-laozi-the-personification-of-dao-tao-on-a-buffalos-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog.</a>

Confucius consulting Laozi

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The term ‘Kui Xing’ originally referred to the North Star (北斗 Bei Dou). As stated in the Historical Records by Sima Qian (司马迁 145BCE – ?) , ‘Kui is the first star of the Great Dipper constellation’. Therefore, Kui also carries the meaning of being the first.
Gu Yanwu (顾炎武 1613–1682), a scholar in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, wrote in his book ‘Records of Daily-Gained Knowledge’ (日知录 Rizhilu):
“The origin of the worship of Kui Xing by people today is unknown. Kui 奎 was the master of Literature, and therefore temples were built to worship him. However, he could not be portrayed accurately, and thus was changed to a homophonous name of ‘Kui 魁’. But even this was not easy to portrait Kui, so the character Kui 魁 was split into 鬼 (meaning ghost, demon or spirit) and 斗 dou (a vessel for measurement, also a pun for the Dipper Bei Dou) so that the image of Kui can be illustrated by a spirit lifting one foot and supporting a dou vessel.”
Legend has it that the writing brush he was holding was used to write the names of successful candidates in the imperial examinations. Once their names were written, their literary and official careers were guaranteed to flourish. Therefore, during the imperial examination era, scholars regarded Kui Xing as a deity of their great fortune.
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Related Pun Picture:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/you-will-certainly-come-out-first-in-the-imperial-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You will certainly come out first in the imperial examinations</a> 必定夺魁
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Related Figural Scene:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/when-the-god-of-literature-kicks-an-ink-vessel-you-are-blessed-to-be-the-only-one-who-can-stand-on-the-head-of-a-dragon-carp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When the God of Literature kicks an ink vessel, you are blessed to be the only one who can stand on the head of a dragon-carp. </a>魁星踢斗,  独占鳌头

God of Literature

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As the deity who grants success in the imperial examinations, <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/god-of-literature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kui Xing</a> 魁星 is revered as the God of Literature. The image of Kui Xing is often presented as a spirit holding a writing brush in one hand and a scroll or a tablet in the other. He is often seen standing on one foot while the other is kicking back towards an ink vessel (斗 dou).
During the Tang and Song dynasties, scholars who scored number one in imperial examinations would stand on the head of large <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/dragon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dragon</a>&#8211;<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/fish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carp </a>reliefs on the steps in front of the imperial palace to receive the announcement of the ranking. Therefore, a person who can make it and <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/may-you-be-the-only-one-who-can-stand-on-the-head-of-a-dragon-carp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stand on the head of a dragon-carp is considered as a champion</a>.
When the figure of a scholar is replaced by Kui Xing standing on the head of a dragon-carp, its meaning is merged as well. The figural scene is blessing you to be the top scholar in the examinations.
Related Pun Picture:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/you-will-certainly-come-out-first-in-the-imperial-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You will certainly come out first in the imperial examinations</a> 必定夺魁

When the God of Literature kicks an ink vessel, you are blessed to be the only one who can stand on the head of a dragon-carp.

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Laozi (Lao Tzu 老子) is a great ancient Chinese thinker, to whom a five-thousand-character book ‘Dao de jing 道德经’, or The Scripture of the Way and Virtue, has been attributed. He is regarded as the founder of philosophical Daoism (Taoism), daojia 道家, because of his profound insights to life and the world, and a supreme deity in religious Daoism (Taoism), daojiao 道教, and popular Chinese religious cults.
Legend goes that Laozi grew unhappy about the moral decay and decline of the society and decided to leave for the unsettled frontier in the west. A noble lie says that Yinxi 尹喜, the official in charge of Han’gu Pass 函谷关 on the border saw some purple clouds flying towards his direction, and then euphorically expected and welcomed the renowned master’s arrival. Yinxi managed to persuade the master to write down his wisdom before he began his new life as a hermit. The brief pamphlet, also named after its author as ‘Laozi’, enjoyed a long-lasting appeal, resulting in more than seven hundred commentaries devoted to it by men of letters throughout the long history of China.
See more images of Laozi on the signature buffalo <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/laozi-riding-on-a-black-buffalo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>and discussion about pictorial parody of Laozi riding an ox in this <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/appreciation-of-chinese-visual-art-depiction-of-laozi-the-personification-of-dao-tao-on-a-buffalos-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog.</a>

Laozi exiting Han’gu Pass

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Laozi (Lao Tzu 老子), literally ‘old teacher or master’, is the well-known name for a great ancient Chinese thinker, to whom a five-thousand-character book ‘Dao de jing 道德经’, or The Scripture of the Way and Virtue, has been attributed. He is regarded as the founder of philosophical Daoism (Taoism), daojia 道家, because of his profound insights to life and the world, and a supreme deity in religious Daoism (Taoism), daojiao 道教, and popular Chinese religious cults.
The earliest images of the legendary figure can be traced back to the Ming dynasty (1368 &#8211; 1644) when he was typically portrayed as a geriatric riding on the signature buffalo, as are found on two hanging scrolls, one by the Zhe-school painter Zhang Lu 张路 (ca. 1464 &#8211; 1538) and the other spuriously attributed to Chao Buzhi 晁补之 (1053 &#8211; 1110), a Song-dynasty literary man. In the former, Laozi is holding a scroll in his right hand, presumably representing his seminal work. In the latter, Laozi is depicted as a stout character, which later became Laozi’s more formal persona.
Read more about Laozi&#8217;s famous events <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/appreciation-of-chinese-visual-art-depiction-of-laozi-the-personification-of-dao-tao-on-a-buffalos-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a>

Laozi Riding on a Black Buffalo

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One day during the Tang dynasty (618-907), Li Keyong (李克用, 856-908), the Prince of Jin (晋王), went out hunting with an entourage of dozens of soldiers, when he encountered a woodcutter in a quiet valley. The woodcutter told Li that The Flying Tiger Hill nearby was an ideal hunting ground. The prince told him that he had dreamt of a flying <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tiger </a>the night before and wanted him to show his way there. They met a strong gust of wind when reaching the destination and, what was worse, the woodcutter disappeared. A gigantic tiger emerged from the bushes and started charging at the group.
The prince immediately drew out an arrow and shot at the tiger. The tiger let out a cry and jumped to the other side of a creek with the arrow on its back. There was a young man sleeping on the bank with a flock of sheep nearby. The tiger was pouncing on the sheep and woke up the young man. To the onlookers’ great surprise, the young man beat the tiger up with his excellent skills of martial arts. The prince joked with the young man, saying ‘You have killed my pet.’ On hearing this, the young man lifted the tiger and threw it across the creek together with the words ‘You can have it back.’
The prince was impressed by the young man’s extraordinary strength and learned that they both share the same family name ‘Li’. He invited Cunxiao (存孝), the young man, to be his adopted son, who later helped him to win numerous battles.
image identification and story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>
Other story scenes related to the tiger:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yang-xiang-trying-to-throttle-the-tiger-to-rescue-her-father/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yang Xiang Trying to Throttle the Tiger to Rescue Her Father 杨香扼虎救亲</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/wu-song-slaying-the-tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wu Song Slaying the Tiger 武松打虎</a>

Li Cunxiao Slaying a Tiger

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‘Li Mi (李密 582–619) Hanging His Books on His Ox Horns’ is one of the inspirational self-improvement stories in ancient China. It was adopted in the famous Three-Character Classic (三字经 San Zi Jing), written in the 13th century. The primer served as children&#8217;s first textbook in elementary education for more than five hundred years until the late nineteenth century.
Li Mi was a war lord, politician, and poet during the end of the Sui dynasty (581–618). He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth because both his grandfather and father were from aristocratic families during the Northern Zhou (557–81) and Sui dynasties. He had a noble primary education and developed a good habit of reading. As a young scholar, he heard that the eminent scholar Bao Kai (包恺) was visiting Mt. Gou Shan (缑山), in Luoyang (洛阳), Henan province, and set out to follow him. He put a grass saddle on the back of an ox and used it as his vehicle for the journey. Not wanting to waste time on the way, he carried the Book of Han (汉书) with him. It is a history of the Western or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The multi-volume work was compiled by Ban Gu (班固 32–92 CE) with the help of his sister Ban Zhao (班昭 49–120 CE), on the basis of the work of their father, Ban Biao (班彪 3–54 CE). Li Mi held one volume in his hand and hung some of the volumes on the ox horn.
It happened that Yang Su (杨素 544–606), the Duke of Yue (越国公), was riding behind Li Mi on the same road. When Yang Su saw a young man reading on the ox back, he pulled the reins and slowed down the horse. When he approached Li Mi, he asked, ‘Why are you so hardworking, lad?’ Recognising this prominent figure in the country, Li Mi immediately got off the ox back to perform ritual kowtow towards him. Yang Su asked him about the book he was reading and was very impressed by Li’s knowledge and demeanour.
Later, Yang Su told his son Xuan’gan (玄感) that Li Mi was an extraordinary man and somebody he could rely on. Xuan’gan took his father’s words to heart. In 613 CE, Xuan’gan declared an uprising in Liyang (黎阳), near modern Hebi (鹤壁), Henan province, against the Sui emperor. He sent someone to Chang’an (长安) to invite Li Mi to be his counsellor.
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
Story Scene Differentiation:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/bing-ji-inquiring-about-a-panting-buffalo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bing Ji Inquiring about a Panting Buffalo 丙吉问牛喘</a>

Li Mi Hanging His Books on His Ox Horns

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Li Yuan (李渊 566–635 CE) excelled at horse-riding, archery, and calligraphy as a young man. He was to be the future founder (reigned 618–626 CE) of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). Miss Dou was exceptionally smart and her father Dou Yi 窦毅, the governor of Dingzhou, was very particular about the quality of his future son-in-law. The family decided to erect a screen with two peacocks painted on it and announced whoever could shoot two arrows on each of the peacock’s eye would be qualified to win Miss Dou’s hand. Dozens of young men entered for the competition but left with disappointment because of failure in achieving the full score. Li Yuan as a later comer managed to hit the eye of each peacock with the two arrows and thus captured Miss Dou’s hand.
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image identification and story scene description by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Li Yuan shooting the eye of the peacocks on the screen

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In the 14th-century historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义 &#8211; 甘露寺招亲), the generals in the Dongwu (东吴) kingdom conspired to murder Liu Bei (刘备), head of the Shu Han (蜀汉) kingdom, by inviting him to their territory with the promise of their king Sun Quan (孙权)’s sister for his wife. When Liu Bei was trapped in Sun Quan’s camp, he seized an opportunity while he was standing beside a large rock in the garden. Taking an attendant’s sword, Liu Bei pledged to Heaven, ‘If I am destined to succeed in my mission of reviving the Han, let this sword cut through the stone. Otherwise, let the stone remain intact.’ As he struck, the stone split in two. When Sun Quan came onto the scene and asked Liu Bei what he had wished for, Liu told him a lie to throw him off the scent.
Sun then gripped his own sword and cried, ‘I, too, shall put a question to Heaven.’ To himself, Sun Quan swore, ‘If Dongwu is to thrive, let the rock split!’ The giant stone broke again with Sun’s strike!
This tale aptly illustrates the expression, ‘being strange bedfellows’, i.e., sharing the same bed, but having different thoughts and dreams. The cross cracks on the rock are evidence of two strange bedfellows’ inner thoughts.
The story scene on the porcelain ware illustrated here was first deciphered by <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. More of his interesting discussion on this topic is available <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/liu-bei-and-sun-quan-two-strange-bedfellows-make-a-stone-a-cross-bun/">here</a>.

Liu Bei and Sun Quan chopping stone

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Lv Bu (吕布 Lü Bu, died 199 CE) is known as an almost unchallenged fighter in the period of the Three Kingdoms (三国, 220-280 CE) in Chinese history. The scene on the vase depicts a crucial moment when Lv Bu’s exceptional archery stunt astounded all the generals and soldiers present and then successfully quelled an imminent collision between two opposing camps.
This vignette is found in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the most authoritative source text for that period, composed by Chen Shou (陈寿) in the third century. General Ji Ling (纪灵) led thirty thousand soldiers to launch an attack on <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/liu-bei-and-sun-quan-chopping-stone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liu Bei</a> (刘备), one of the heads of the Three Kingdoms, and Liu asked Lv Bu for help. Lv Bu decided to lend Liu a hand in spite of the objection from his lieutenants. Lv Bu explained to them that, if Liu Bei’s army collapsed, then his army would be Ji Ling’s next target. Lv Bu went to see Ji Ling with one thousand soldiers and held a drinking party inviting Liu Bei’s men as guests. After a round of clinking of glasses, Lv Bu said to Ji Ling, ‘Liu Bei is to me like a brother. I’ve come to rescue him. I don’t like conflicts but love to resolve disputes between people.’ Then, Lv Bu asked to have a ji (戟) halberd erect at the entrance of the camp enclosure and, raising his favourite bow up in the air, he inspected the crowd around him and announced, ‘Watch me shoot the short blade on the halberd. If my arrow hits it in one shot, both parties must call it a truce and leave. If it doesn’t, you may stay and fight.’ Sure enough, Lv Bu’s arrow hit where it was meant to hit and, flabbergasted, the crowd burst into a roar ‘General, you possess Heaven’s might!’ The next day saw revels participated by all three forces and a happy departure.
image identification and story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Lv Bu’s Archery Stunt at the Camp Gate

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According to the Account of Wu (吴志) in The Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志), Lu Ji (陆绩), was a native of Wu. At the age of six, he had an opportunity to meet Yuan Shu (袁术), who at the time controlled the region of Jiujiang. Yuan Shu put out some tangerines for him to eat. Lu Ji surreptitiously stuffed three of them into the breast of his robe, but when he was making his parting bows, they rolled out to the ground. ‘Master Lu,’ said Yuan Shu, ‘is it proper for a guest to be hiding tangerines in the breast of his robe?’ Lu Ji knelt down and said, ‘I only wanted to take them home to give to my mother!’ Yuan Shu was much struck by his action. This anecdote was later included in The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (二十四孝), compiled during the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368) by Guo Jujing (郭居敬).
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Lu Ji Hiding Tangerines for His Mother

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This is a story of a righteous woman. As the army of the state of Qi (齐国) launched an invasion against the state of Lu (鲁国), soldiers approaching a Lu suburb saw a woman struggling along the road with two children. When the army got closer, she abandoned one of the children and grabbed the other, moving toward the mountains. When the general caught up with her and asked her why she had abandoned one child and run away with the other, the woman explained, ‘I was too weak to protect two children in this calamity. I parted with my own son in order to save my brother’s son; in line with the moral ideal of keeping others’ interests before one’s own.’ On hearing this, the general halted the advance and sent a messenger back to persuade his king not to continue fighting against the Lu, feeling that one could never beat a country in which even an illiterate woman had such high moral values.
The story scene depicted on the porcelain ware displayed in this listing was first deciphered by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>.
More story scenes on Morality:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/qiuhu-trying-to-seduce-his-own-wife/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qiuhu Trying to Seduce His Own Wife 秋胡戏妻 (鲁洁妇)</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lu-ji-hiding-tangerines-for-his-mother/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lu Ji Hiding Tangerines for His Mother 陆绩怀橘遗亲</a>

The ‘Righteous Aunt’ of Lu

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As a young man, Lv Dongbin (吕洞宾, or Lü Dongbin) passed several rounds of civil-service examinations and was twice appointed as a county magistrate. After being bored with officialdom, he went to become a recluse in the mountains. Not until he met<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhongli-quan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Zhongli Quan</a> (钟离权, or 汉钟离 Han Zhongli) in a tavern in Chang’an, did he learn the true way of the Dao from him and became an immortal. After Zhongli Quan tested him with Ten Trials, or inspired him with a dream, the teacher passed the pupil the method of concocting the Golden Pill (授以金丹之道). Both of them are famous patron saints of the Daoist discipline of neidan (内丹) or Inner Alchemy. Instead of resorting to outside substances such as minerals, the neidan adepts making the elixir within the body.
Lv Dongbin is the most colourful and popular figure amongst the Eight Daoist Immortals with many legends, plays, and pictures created for him. His prototypical portrayal is a scholar figure with a signature headdress variously named ‘chunyang jin (纯阳巾)’ or ‘huayang jin (华阳巾)’, i.e., ‘pure-yang turban’.  His attribute is a practically invincible sword and sometimes a horse-hair fly whisk. He often has an acolyte accompanying him, with a miniature tree growing out of the top of his head because he was the willow spirit.
Entries and story scenes related to Lv Dongbin include the Covet Eight Daoist Immortals, the <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/eight-daoist-immortals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eight Daoist Immortals</a>, the Journey to the East, Lv Dongbin Thrice Intoxicated at the Yueyang Tower, <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-dongbin-sending-liang-hao-a-bride-to-repay-him-a-life-debt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Story of the Blue Robe,</a> the Story of the Luoyang Bridge, the Story of Yellow Millet, the Ten Trials, etc.

Lv Dongbin

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Guo Ziyi (郭子仪 697–781), a native of Huazhou 华州 (a county near present-day Xi’an 西安), was the most prominent general-statesman of the Tang dynasty. For the great part of nearly thirty years and under a succession of four different emperors, he played a key role in maintaining the stability of the country. He helped to <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/guo-ziyi-deterring-the-enemy-without-armour/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keep the nomads in the northern frontier at bay</a> and managed to subdue the rebellion led by two powerful warlords An Lushan (安禄山 703–757) and Shi Siming (史思明 703–761).
Guo Ziyi is considered to have had an ideal personal life because he had eight sons and seven daughters and all of the male adults in his extended family served as high-ranking officials at the imperial court. In imperial China, officials went to court to have an audience with the emperor carrying an elongated tablet hu (笏) for taking notes. With the increasing popularity of paper, the hu tablet evolved into a status symbol for court officials. Whenever Guo Ziyi had a birthday party in his mansions, he had to set aside a large bed to accommodate the large number of hu tablets or sceptres brought by his distinguished guests and family members. So the coined phrase ‘a bed piled with hu sceptres (满床笏 man chuang hu)’ describes a scene associated with a powerful personality.
Guo Ziyi safely left his political and military career at the age of seventy-two and passed away at eighty-five, regarded posthumously in the Chinese society as an epitome of the Three Abundant Blessings (三多 san duo). He enjoyed all of them: great <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/good-fortune/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">good fortune</a>, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longevity</a>, and abundant offspring, the apogee of a person’s life-long achievements.
In artistic depictions of the scene, the bed piled with ivory or bamboo sceptres is usually highlighted but often misunderstood. Sometimes, the artist may omit the bed with piled hu sceptres on it but the scene remains a welcome gift for a respected person’s birthday.
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image identification and literature research by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
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More stories about Guo Ziyi:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-did-guo-ziyi-deter-the-colossal-enemy-army-without-fighting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How did Guo Ziyi deter the colossal enemy army without fighting?</a>

A Bed Piled with Hu Sceptres (Guo Ziyi’s Grand Birthday Party)

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Meng Haoran (孟浩然, c. 690–740) is one of the most renowned poets in Tang dynasty (618–906). He started off pursuing a civil service career and then abandoned it to concentrate on poetry. He was a major influence on other Tang and later poets because of his innovative focus on nature. There is a play attributed to the noted Yuan dynasty playwright and poet, Ma Zhiyuan (马致远, c.1250 – c.1324), entitled ‘(Meng Haoran) Looking for Plum Blossom on a Snowy Day’. In the play, Meng Haoran was characterised as a scholar with incredible integrity, symbolised by his love of <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/prunus-plum-blossom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plum blossom</a> looking its best during the depths of winter. For hundreds of years, Chinese literati have lauded his life-long self-exile from material pursuits in officialdom and held up his deeds as good examples for scholars.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/who-is-the-scholar-riding-a-donkey-looking-for-plum-blossom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>for more interesting discussion on the identity of the scholar figure in similar scenes.
Reference:
Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 34–35.

Meng Haoran Looking for Plum Blossom on a Snowy Day

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General Meng Tian, died in 210BC, was a prominent general in the army of the first emperor of China of the Qin Dynasty. He led a series of successful campaigns against the nomad threat in the north, and orchestrated the ingenious projects such as the road system in the new empire and what is later known as the Great Wall of China.
The scenery on the rare Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white vase was about the soldiers of General Meng Tian having captured an enemy. The Chinese characters 蒙恬将军 on the flag read ‘General Meng Tian’.

General Meng Tian

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The story scene is originated from an anecdote dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907). Cui Rong (崔戎, 780-835) is a statesman who is important enough to have a position in the ‘Biographies’ section in the official histories The Old Book of Tang (jiu tang shu 旧唐书), completed in 945, and the New Book of Tang (xin tang shu 新唐书), presented to the then emperor in 1060.
When Cui Rong served as the governor of Hua prefecture, his administrative skills and integrity impressed the locals, dignitaries and farmhands alike. One of his notable deeds was that, on his departure, he made sure that a large sum of money which had been allocated for the customary governor’s personal use was to be disseminated among ordinary soldiers of the local army. After hearing the news that Cui Rong had been assigned to a new post, a large number of people swarmed to the departure ceremony trying to prevent him from leaving. During the chaos, Cui Rong’s boots were accidentally removed by some overenthusiastic members of the crowd and they then kept them as a souvenir.
From then on, when a magistrate departed, a group of local dignitaries would come to him with a gift of a new pair of boots in exchange of the boots he had been wearing. They would display his old boots in a public place to show the locals’ appreciation of his legacy. The tradition endured over a millennium till the last days of the imperial China, as was vignetted in the American missionary Chester Holcombe’s (1842-1912) book The Real Chinaman (1895):
‘When a popular official is about to lay down the seal of office at the conclusion of his term of service, he is waited upon by a deputation of leading residents, who, with many flowery words of compliment and praise, gravely request him to donate to the city a pair of his official boots. The request is esteemed an honour, and is always granted. They are taken in solemn procession, with music and much parade, to the city gate and there suspended, where they remain until they decay and drop to pieces.’
The porcelain vessels adorned with this theme were popular in the early Qing period and were deemed to be an apt gift for departing officials to commemorate their highlights in life.
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image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>
Reference:
Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 98-99.

The Boot-Swapping Ceremony for the Departing Governor

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Nezha (哪吒) is a legendary warrior deity in Chinese mythology, known for his rebellious spirit, supernatural abilities, and deep connections to Daoist and Buddhist traditions. His earliest roots can be traced to Buddhist texts, where he appears as a guardian under Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King (多闻天王, Duowen Tianwang). Over time, his story evolved, and by the Song and Yuan dynasties, he had become a distinctly Chinese figure. Daoist traditions reshaped his legend, portraying him as a youthful hero who defied fate, sacrificed himself, and was reborn through divine intervention.
Nezha’s presence in Chinese folklore extends beyond his well-known battles in Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West. He also played a role in the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/legend-of-the-white-snake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legend of the White Snake</a>, where he assisted Abbot Fahai in defending Jinshan Temple against Bai Suzhen. Antique paintings and porcelain pieces provide visual evidence of this connection, capturing scenes of his intervention alongside the monk (see Figs. 1–7). His presence in this folktale reinforces his image as a divine warrior upholding cosmic order.
During the Ming dynasty, Nezha’s myth took on new dimensions. Wu Cheng’en (吴承恩)’s Journey to the West (西游记, Xi You Ji) depicts him as a formidable warrior, the son of Li Jing, engaging in fierce battles, including one with Sun Wukong, the Monkey King (see Figs. 8–11). Yet it was Xu Zhonglin (许仲琳)’s Investiture of the Gods (封神演义, Fengshen Yanyi) that cemented his legendary status. In this epic, he fights alongside Jiang Ziya, aiding <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/bo-yi-and-shu-qi-trying-to-stop-the-mighty-zhou-army/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">King Wu in his campaign to overthrow the Shang dynasty</a> (see Figs. 12–13). His famous exploits, including his battle with Ao Bing, the Dragon King’s son, are vividly depicted in artworks that illustrate his defiance of authority and mastery of divine weaponry (see Figs. 14–19). His origin story became one of the most dramatic in Chinese mythology—born from a ball of flesh, mentored by Taiyi Zhenren (太乙真人), and ultimately sacrificing his mortal body to escape his father’s wrath. His act of stripping off his flesh and bones, followed by his rebirth in a lotus form, remains a powerful symbol of defiance, renewal, and spiritual transcendence.
Crucially, Nezha’s iconic weapons are detailed: the Fire-tipped Spear (火尖枪, Huo Jian Qiang), Wind Fire Wheels (风火轮, Feng Huo Lun), Universe Ring (乾坤圈, Qian Kun Quan), and the Red Armillary Sash (混天绫, Hun Tian Ling) which is a magical cloth used to control water and cause disruption.
Nezha’s portrayal as a powerful child warrior, embodying courage and justice, has made him a beloved figure in Chinese culture. In later traditions, particularly in southern China and among overseas Chinese communities, he is also venerated as a protector of seafarers and children. His journey reflects the interplay of religious and cultural influences, shaping a character whose legacy endures.
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literature research and story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>

Nezha

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This is a story from the Romance of the Western Chamber, a famous Chinese play written by Wang Shifu (王实甫, 1260-1336) in Yuan dynasty (1271-1368):
On his way to the capital to take civil-service exams, Scholar Zhang (张生) fell in love with the beautiful Cui Yingying (崔莺莺), who was stranded in a monastery. They had to be separated because Yingying’s mother only allowed Zhang to marry Yingying after he succeeded in his exams. Half a year passed and, when Zhang won the official honours, he sent the page boy to tell Yingying the good news. Yingying was thrilled to receive the glad tidings.
image identification and literature research: by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>  
Related blog:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/the-gifts-standing-for-love-an-appreciation-of-chinese-porcelain-painting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The gifts standing for love: an appreciation of Chinese porcelain painting</a>
Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations 张生赶考</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber 月下佳期</a>

Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy

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The seventh day of the seventh month of the traditional Chinese year is the Chinese ‘Valentine’s Day’, Qixi Festival (七夕节). The custom can be traced back to an ancient story about a weaver girl and a cowherd:
Once upon a time, one of the daughters of the Lord of the Heaven lived on the east side of the Milky Way and she worked by the loom day in and day out, weaving fabrics as light as cloud for fairies, thus known as the ‘Weaving Maiden (织女 zhi nv)’. Later, her father allowed her to be married to the ‘Herd Boy (牛郎 niu lang)’ living across the Milky Way. But her father got angry with her because he thought she neglected her weaving duty after the marriage and summoned her back to the east side of the Milky Way, allowing her to reunite with her husband only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month of the traditional Chinese year. In order to help the maiden to reach the other side of the Milky Way, flocks of magpies would have an annual gathering on that day to form a bridge.
In the heart of the Chinese people, the story of the Weaving Maiden and Herd Boy has epitomised as a symbol for lovers separated by various kinds of obstacles and their longing of reunion.
More discussion on this topic is available in Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/celebration-of-qixi-festival-the-weaving-maiden-and-the-herd-boy-reuniting-on-the-chinese-valentines-day/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

The Weaving Maiden and the Herd Boy

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This story scene originates from one of the four famous romantic plays in Yuan dynasty, Pei Shaojun on horseback meeting Li Qianjin over the garden wall (also known as On Horseback and over the Garden Wall) 裴少俊墙头马上, which was written by playwright Bai Pu (白朴 1226 &#8211; after 1306).
Pei Shaojun 裴少俊, the son of the Tang Prime Minister Pei Xingjian 裴行俭, was riding on horseback towards Luoyang with his assistant Zhang Qian to buy some flowers. Over a garden wall, a beautiful girl Li Qianjin 李千金, the daughter of the local Governor, caught his eye. Li Qianjin was also attracted to Pei’s handsome look. The young couple immediately fell in love and exchanged love poems with the help of Li’s maid. They agreed to meet in secret at night and eventually Li eloped with Pei. Li Qianjin had to hide and live in the Pei’s back garden for seven years and had two children with him. Unfortunately, she was found out by Pei’s father and was expelled in humiliation. Later, Pei Shaojun passed civil-service exams with flying colours and wanted to win Li back. But Li firmly declined as she had been deeply hurt. Pei’s parents also went to plead with her, however, without success. In the end, Li’s heart was softened by the cries and pleas of her two children, and the couple finally reunited.

Pei Shaojun on horseback meeting Li Qianjin over the garden wall

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This is Scene Four of Act Three of <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (Xixiang Ji 西厢记), a popular Chinese drama written by playwright Wang Shifu 王实甫 (1250–1336) in Yuan dynasty.
Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) had taken ill from anger the previous night, prompting Madame Cui to send a doctor to visit him. Deeply worried, Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 entrusted Hongniang 红娘 with a letter, disguising it as a prescription. Upon seeing Scholar Zhang, Hongniang joked about his lovesick state and handed him the letter from Yingying. Though weak and weary, Scholar Zhang’s face lit up with delight the moment he heard it was from her. ‘Had I known it was a poem from Yingying,’ he said with a smile, ‘I would have knelt to receive it!’ He adjusted his hat and girdle, bowed courteously, and took the letter with both hands—only to discover it was an invitation to meet her that very evening!
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other figural stories on Chinese artworks:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-dream-by-the-qiantang-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The dream by the Qiantang River</a> 钱塘梦
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/a-startled-romantic-dream-in-the-back-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A startled romantic dream in the back garden</a> 杜丽娘游园惊梦
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sima-xiangru-inscribing-on-the-bridge-gateway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sima Xiangru inscribing on the bridge gateway</a> 相如题桥

Hongniang Enquiring After Scholar Zhang’s Health

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A scholar official in Song dynasty Sima You (司马槱) dreamed of a beautiful girl presenting him the first half of a song, which he later developed into a full version called Huangjinlv (黄金缕). The girl was none other than a famous courtesan Su Xiaoxiao (苏小小) who lived by the Qiantang River and was in the local high society centuries earlier, an embodiment of the Southern sophisticated culture that the Northern young man absolutely adored. Since he had chanced on her relics in his backyard and gave her a proper burial the previous afternoon, the girl appeared in his dream to show gratitude to him.
The story scene on the Butler dish and the Cizhou pillow was first deciphered by Dr <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>.
References:
<ol>
<li>Yibin Ni (2002) The Shunzhi Emperor and the Popularity of Scenes from the Romance of the Western Wing on Porcelain, Treasures from an Unknown Reign: Shunzhi Porcelain, Art Services Intl, p.78.</li>
<li>倪亦斌:《被遗忘的&lt;钱塘梦&gt;》,《艺术世界》, 上海: 上海文艺出版社, 2004-04, pp.74-75.</li>
<li>倪亦斌:《被遗忘的&lt;钱塘梦&gt;》,《看图说瓷》, 北京: 中华书局, 2008, pp.11-18.</li>
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Other dream scene on antique artworks:
<a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/a-startled-romantic-dream-in-the-back-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Startled Romantic Dream in the Back Garden 杜丽娘游园惊梦</a>

The dream by the Qiantang River

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Qin Shubao (秦叔宝, or Qin Qiong 秦琼, ?–638,) and Luo Cheng 罗成 were cousins, and they were characters in the Qing Dynasty novel Complete Biography of Explaining the Tang Dynasty 《说唐演义全传》 (Shuo Tang Yanyi Quan Zhuan, author unknown).
Luo Cheng was invited by General Yang Yichen 杨义臣 to guard an extremely difficult formation, Bronze Banner Array, in order to defeat enemies. Within the formation, numerous fatal mechanisms were set up, and there were warriors guarding a huge tall bronze banner. At the top of the flagpole, there was a large square container where twenty-four top archers would be ready to release a barrage of arrows at whoever attempted to come close to the array.
Coincidentally, it was Qin Qiong who was leading the attack for his Lord Western Wei 西魏王. Fortunately, Luo Cheng’s mother had already instructed Luo that if his cousin was engaged in the battle with him, he must seemingly protect the bronze banner while secretly providing support to Qin Qiong, ensuring his cousin would not suffer any loss.
As Qin Qiong charged into the array, Luo Cheng deliberately expressed his curiosity saying that he wanted to see how Qin Qiong could possibly topple the sturdy bronze banner. He also ordered the twenty-four archers not to release their arrows. As a result, Qin Qiong got the chance to dash to the front of the flagpole and killed guarding warriors. He then waved his golden weapon jian 锏 mace, exerted all his strength, and struck the flagpole. Once! Twice! As he knocked for the third time, a deafening sound exploded and the bronze flagpole was miraculously toppled, crushing all the archers.
Luo Cheng then collaborated with Qin Qiong and broke through the Bronze Banner Array successfully. Later, they both fled to Lord Western Wei and Luo Cheng was honoured as General ‘Fierce Tiger’.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other narrative scene depicting battlefield: 
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhao-zilongs-solo-rescue-of-liu-beis-infant-son/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhao Zilong’s solo rescue of Liu Bei’s infant son</a> 赵子龙单骑救主

Qin Qiong knocking down the bronze banner

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The Ming-dynasty play The Story of the Blue Robe (青袍记 Qingpao ji, also called《梁氏父子传胪记》) tells the story of how <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-dongbin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Dongbin</a> (吕洞宾 Lü Dongbin or 吕纯阳), one of the <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/eight-daoist-immortals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eight Daoist Immortals</a> (八仙 baxian), survived a catastrophe with the help of Liang Hao 梁灏 and repaid him by ensuring him to be able to enjoy the highest academic title, longevity, and a flourishing extended family.
A scholar named Liang Hao in Song dynasty was the human form taken by the God of Literacy when he was disgraced to be sent to the human world. Once the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess were ordered to cleanse the earth with seven days of thunderstorm. This was the ordeal which Lv Dongbin, Liu Hai 刘海, Iron-Crutch Li 铁拐李, Han Shan 寒山, and Shi De 拾得 were all predestined to go through. Liang Hao helped Lv Dongbin by letting him hide in his fingernail as a grain. After Lv Dongbin survived the disaster, he decided to repay Liang Hao by leaving him with his good wishes for a successful career, longevity, and many successful descendants.
The next day, Liang Hao invited his three friends over and dined and wined them on a boat. Towards the evening, two of the friends said that they heard that there was a spirit in the Pavilion of Looking at Immortals (望仙楼) and whoever spent a night there would come under its spell. They dared Liang Hao to spend the night there for a reward of a tael of silver. Liang Hao took up the challenge and stayed in the pavilion reading by a lamp. Lv Dongbin thought that this was an opportunity and mobilised a willow-tree spirit (柳树精 liushu jing) to carry a girl to Liang to be his future wife. Since the girl was taken from her bed and arrived naked, Liang Hao had to wrap her in his blue robe, hence the title of the play. Liang Hao sent the girl to spend the night with his mother and the following day the girl’s parents were informed of the event and happily married their daughter to Liang Hao.
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image identification and literature research by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
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Lv Dongbin Sending Liang Hao a Bride to Repay him a Life Debt

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This scene is an episode from the Ming drama ‘The Story of <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/when-red-fly-whisk-fell-head-over-heels-for-the-scholar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Girl Holding a Red Fly Whisk </a>(红拂记 Hongfu ji)’.
The story is an account of how a talented scholar Li Jing (李靖) meets Lord Yang Su 杨素’s favourite singsong girl <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-to-depict-the-scene-of-falling-in-love-on-chinese-porcelain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Fly Whisk</a> (红拂女). Later, they meet the formidable knight errant Zhang Zhongjian (张仲坚) whose nickname is Curly-bearded Fellow (虬髯客), and they form the well-known ‘Three Chivalrous Heroes of the Wind and Dust 风尘三侠’.
Through twists and turns, the Curly Beard realised that Li Shimin 李世民 (598-649) was the true ‘dragon’s son’ and, therefore, destined to be the future ruler of the Tang dynasty (618-907) and decided not to compete with him. After Curly-bearded Fellow handed over to Li Jing and Red Fly Whisk all his possessions, he left for overseas to start his cause of taking over a small kingdom of Fuyu in the south-east sea. Before his departure, he told the couple that in ten years’ time they would hear his success and should celebrate this occasion by pouring him a libation of wine toward south-east.
In the present scene, the sensible knight Zhang with his signature baby-dragon-like (虬髯) beard is riding a horse, accompanied by his wife sitting in a wheeled sedan chair on their way abroad.
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Curly-bearded Fellow Going Overseas

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Qiuhu (秋胡), a native of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BCE), was ordered to take up an official post in the state of Chen a scant five days after his marriage to Jiefu (洁妇), the ‘Loyal Wife’. Five years later, on his way back home, he encountered a woman by the roadside picking mulberry leaves, used as food for silkworms.
Qiuhu approached the woman and told her that toiling among mulberry leaves was certainly not as fun as yielding to a high-ranking minister’s offer who took a fancy to her. Qiuhu baited the woman with some gold ingots. The woman retorted, ‘I work hard to support my parents-in-law and the son left behind by my husband. I wish that you did not take fancy of women outside your family. I have no intention of fooling around. Take your gold back.’
On arriving home, Qiuhu sent for his wife and, to his great embarrassment, discovered that she was none other than the woman he had solicited.
There are two endings to this story. One version relates that after condemning Qiuhu for being lecherous and for not exercising virtues of filial piety to his parents, as was customary, the wife felt so disheartened that she threw herself into the river. The other ending, suggested by the Yuan dynasty literatus Zhao Mengfu (赵孟頫, 1254–1322), is a happy one. In his version, Qiuhu was merely testing his wife. Since she proved to be chaste and not materialistic, he reunited with her and they lived happily ever after.
Reference:
Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 28-29.

Qiuhu trying to seduce his own wife

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These set of images portray the last moment of the life of Qu Yuan 屈原 (340-278 BCE), an important Chinese poet and politician, who was in exile in the wilderness because of his unsuitable political stance in court. He was talking with a fisherman on the bank of the Miluo River (汨罗江) in Hunan province before he threw himself into water in despair. In Qu Yuan’s autobiographical poem the ‘Fisherman’, the fisherman recognised the dishevelled man and greeted him. Qu Yuan claimed: ‘The whole world is soiled and I alone am clean; all men are drunk and I alone am sober (‘举世皆浊我独清，众人皆醉我独醒’) &#8211; that’s why I’ve ended up like this.  I would rather jump into the river, bury myself in the bellies of <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/fish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fishes</a> than sully my own purity in this vulgar world.’ The fisherman offered him a subtle metaphor before he rowed away: ‘When the water in the river is clear, it’s fit to clean my hat-tassels; when the river water is muddy, it will still suffice to wash my feet.’
Today, the Chinese people still commemorate Qu Yuan&#8217;s death by eating pyramid-shaped rice dumplings wrapped in leaves and taking part in dragon boat races on <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/duanwu-festival-and-combating-the-five-poisons-in-chinese-seasonal-customs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fifth day of the fifth month</a> of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Communities in Vietnam and Korea also celebrate variations of this Dragon Boat Festival (龙舟节) as part of their shared cultural heritage.

Qu Yuan Meeting a Fisherman

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One day during Su Shi (苏轼, 1037-1101)’s exile in Huangzhou, Hubei province, his friend, Fo Yin (佛印, 1032-98) invited him and Huang Tingjian (黄庭坚, 1045-1105) to taste the ‘Peach-Blossom-Flavoured Vinegar’, made with a famous recipe inherited from the Tang dynasty (618-907). Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and Fo Yin gathered around the vinegar pot and all scooped a sample and had a taste of it. Since the vinegar was exceptionally potent and sour, the three gentlemen all pulled a funny face as a result of a surprising experience.
This scene (三酸图) depicts an important historical anecdote, which symbolises the advocated belief of the three great teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism harmonious as one (三教合一) in traditional China.
Read more interesting <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/are-the-three-men-really-tasting-wine-a-common-misunderstanding-of-a-story-scene/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussion </a>on this topic in our <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog </a>section.
image identification and story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Picture of Three Sours

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This is Scene Two of Act One of the Chinese classic popular drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
After Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞) glimpsed Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 outside the Buddha Hall in the Monastery of Universal Salvation, he went back to his room lovestruck. He was unable to think about anything else. Immediately he decided to prolong his stay and try to see her again. The next day he went back inside the monastery to pay a formal visit to the head abbot, Fa Ben 法本.
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image identification and story scene description by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber</a> 月下佳期
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a> 莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery

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Water Margin, also known as Outlaws of the Marsh or All Men Are Brothers, is a classic Chinese novel written during the Ming Dynasty. It is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
The authorship of the Water Margin has always been a subject of debate, and the most widely accepted view is that it was written by Shi Nai’an 施耐庵. There have been several other viewpoints in history, including those of Luo Guanzhong 罗贯中 and Shi Hui 施惠.
The story portrays the corrupt state of the Northern Song Dynasty in the early twelfth century, where treacherous court officials held significant power and treated Emperor Huizong 宋徽宗 as a puppet, setting up loyal officials and innocent people. The one hundred and eight outlaws in the story each had their own unique traits and experiences, some being wrongfully framed and having nowhere to escape, eventually being forced to seek refuge at Liangshan Marsh. They defended justice, fought against social inequality, and resorted to robbing the rich to help the poor. Over time, their group grew stronger, leading to a rebellion against the corrupt government. However, towards the end of the story, the outlaws accepted amnesty.
The content of the Water Margin, which focuses on a gathering of people opposing the imperial court, was considered a major taboo for feudal dynasties. Therefore, from the reign of Emperor Chongzhen to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Water Margin remained a banned book. The prohibition was particularly strict during the reigns of the Kangxi, Qianlong, Jiaqing, and Daoguang Emperors of the Qing Dynasty. However, it is incredible to see the depictions of the characters and story scenes from the Water Margin on many Kangxi folk porcelains.
Stories of the Outlaws in the Novel:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/wu-song-slaying-the-tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wu Song Slaying the Tiger</a> 武松打虎

Water Margin

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Sima Guang (司马光, 1019-1086) is an eminent scholar and politician during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) in China. His greatest achievement in life is compiling a chronicle of 1,362 years’ history of China from 403 BCE to 959 CE. The book is entitled Zizhi Tongjian (资治通鉴), or ‘Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance’. In his biography in the official History of the Song (dynasty) (宋史), there is an anecdote which exemplifies young Sima Guang’s courageous spirit and quick wit of lateral thinking.
One day, Sima Guang was playing with a group of children in the garden, when one of his playmates climbed up a rock formation and slipped into a gigantic water vat. Shocked by the horrendous sight of a boy disappearing under the water, the group fled in fright. Only Sima Guang remained on the spot and managed to break a hole on the vat with a piece of rock. The water rushed out and the boy survived. Soon afterwards, his heroic deed became inspiration for artists who created corresponding paintings around the capital city (Chapter 336, The History of Song). This scene is known as ‘Shiba-Onko’ in Japan and, as ‘Hob-in-the-Well’ in Europe after it was copied by kilns in Chelsea, England and Meissen, Germany.
literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Sima Guang Breaking a Vat to Rescue His Playmate

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Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty (隋炀帝, r. 606-18) is known for many achievements, such as linking the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers with the man-made Grand Canal, leading successful military campaigns expanding the Sui territory, and being accomplished in the arts. Despite those, Emperor Yang is also considered to have brought disaster to the country and misery to the people late in his life with his unwise rule and decadent and debauched lifestyle with his concubines. In the West Park, outside Luoyang, his consorts (wives who ranked lower than his primary wife, the empress) often organised his concubines to do equestrian performances and variety shows to entertain the emperor and please his inflated ego.
One of the best known of these vignettes was the procession of Lady Wang Zhaojun (王昭君, c.52 &#8211; c.15 BCE) in a moonlit night. (Lady Wang Zhaojun was one of the legendary Four Beauties of Ancient China. She had been in the harem of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han dynasty [汉元帝, 206 BCE &#8211; 8 CE]. He eventually <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lady-wang-zhaojun-going-out-of-the-frontier-pass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent her off by horseback in a procession</a> to marry a Central Asian tribal chieftain.) The elderly Emperor Yang is often depicted enthusiastically observing his elegant court ladies showing off their riding skills in the spirit of Lady Wang, while anticipating further antics to follow.
This scene has often been mistaken as ‘female generals of the Yang family’(杨门女将) by many art historians. However, Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> has found that historical woodblock illustrations such as that of the novel Romance of Sui and Tang (隋唐演义), and New-Year prints such as Wang Zhaojun’s Galloping Horses (新彩昭君跑马) bear similar scenes with clear written titles which reveal that the scene is actually meant to be a cautionary tale for rulers. Chu Renhuo (褚人获)&#8217;s Romance of Sui and Tang fictionalises the historical events leading to the fall of the Sui dynasty and the subsequent rise of the Tang.
Literature:
Jeffrey P. Stamen and Cynthia Volk with Yibin Ni (2017), A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection 文采卓然：潔蕊堂藏康熙盛世瓷, Jieruitang Publishing, Bruges, pp. 30-33.

Night Revel of the Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty

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Sunshu Ao (孙叔敖, c. 630 &#8211; c. 593 BCE) was a hydraulic engineer and politician during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-258 BCE). When he was a child, he came across a snake one day. The snake was unusual because it had two heads. According to the legend, anybody who saw such a snake would soon die. Sunshu killed the snake and buried it. When he got home, Sunshu told his mother that he was not going to live much longer because he saw a two-headed snake. His mother asked what had happened to the snake and Sunshu told her that he had killed and buried it in case more people should encounter the misfortune. His mother told him that the gods would bless those who had the virtue of doing such good deeds and he would not die. Later, Sunshu grew to be the prime minister of the Chu 楚 state because of his merits.
The earliest version of the story, painted on a lacquer screen made before 484 CE, had the snake depicted as a twin-headed one, as opposed to the later versions on woodblock print and porcelains with one head at either end of the snake, which is anatomically implausible.

Sunshu Ao Burying Snake

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Li Bai (李白, courtesy name Taibai 太白, 701–762) from Tang dynasty (618–907) was one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. He was also famous for his love of wine and was extremely productive in writing poems while he got tipsy.
Typically, the scene in Fig. 3 depicts one of the Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup, a painting subject based on the poem ‘A Song to the Eight Intoxicated Literati 饮中八仙歌’ by the Tang dynasty poet, Li Bai’s friend and counterpart, Du Fu (杜甫 712–770). In the poem, Du Fu chose eight prominent men of letters of his time and portrayed them with their drunken antics. Here are his lines for Li Bai (refer to Fig 4):
As for Li Bai, give him a jugful, 
He will write one hundred poems. 
He drowses in a wine-shop 
On a city street of Capital Chang’an; 
And though His Majesty calls, 
He will not board the imperial barge.
“Please your Majesty,” says he,
“I am a god of wine.” 
“李白一斗诗百篇,
长安市上酒家眠,
天子呼来不上船,
自称臣是酒中仙。”
In Fig. 3, Li Bai appears a bit tipsy, surrounded by wine jars and huge drinking vessels, while the courtier is trying to present him with a scroll of the emperor’s edict.
story scene description by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
People who appear drunk in other story scenes:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madam-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang Getting Drunk Due to Madam Cui’s Broken Promise</a> 张生醉酒
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/imperial-consort-lady-yang-getting-drunk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imperial Consort Lady Yang Getting Drunk</a> 杨贵妃醉酒

Li Bai Getting Drunk

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This is from Scene Two of Act Four of the Chinese popular drama Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记 Xixiang Ji).
Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 and Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) were deeply in love. Yingying’s maid, Hongniang 红娘, frequently escorted her to Scholar Zhang’s study <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at night for secret rendezvous</a>. Eventually, Yingying’s mother, Madame Cui, discovered the affair and was furious. She ordered her son, Huanlang 欢郎, to summon Hongniang for interrogation. Yingying pleaded with Hongniang to cover for her.
In the hall, Madame Cui angrily commanded Hongniang to kneel and accused her of tarnishing the family’s reputation. She even threatened to punish Hongniang with a beating. Hongniang defended herself, arguing that the situation was entirely the result of Madame Cui’s own actions—first promising her daughter’s hand in marriage and then going back on her word. She reminded Madame Cui that she had pledged to marry her daughter to whoever could drive away <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Feihu’s troops</a>. After <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/huiming-delivering-a-letter-for-help/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang achieved this feat</a>, Madame Cui reneged on her promise, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breaking the hearts of the young couple</a>. Hongniang further pointed out that the lovebirds had been seeing each other for over a month, making it impossible to reverse the situation.
Hearing this, Madame Cui had no choice but to consent to the marriage. However, she<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/farewell-feast-at-the-pavilion-from-romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> imposed one condition</a>: Scholar Zhang must first go to the capital to take the imperial examinations and earn a prestigious title.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
See all episodes here:<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Romance of the Western Chamber</a>
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Other figural stories on Chinese artworks:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-dream-by-the-qiantang-river/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The dream by the Qiantang River</a> 钱塘梦
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/story-of-the-white-hare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Story of the White Hare</a> 白兔记
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/legend-of-the-jade-hairpin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legend of the Jade Hairpin</a> 玉簪记

Hongniang in the Dock

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<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/deer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deer </a>were reputed to live for a very long time and hence, like <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cranes </a>and <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tortoise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tortoises</a>, they are symbols of <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longevity</a>. For this reason, deer antlers are a highly valued ingredient in many preparations of traditional Chinese medicine, and are reported to prolong life, aid virility and alleviate various ailments. An illustration of these medicinal properties is found among the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (二十四孝), compiled by Guo Jujing 郭居敬 during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368).
According to one of the stories, there once was a boy, referred to as Tanzi 郯子 (‘Young Master Tan’), whose parents suffered from an eye disease that could only be cured by drinking deer’s milk. Observing a herd of deer and their young, the couple’s son donned a deerskin and crept among a group of fawns as they suckled their mothers. In this way, Tanzi was able to collect a bucket of deer milk and bring it to his delighted mother and father. He repeated the ploy every day for many weeks until their sight was restored. The son’s devotion came to light when a hunter almost shot him one day by mistake. Luckily the boy stood up just in time to reveal his disguise.
Reference: 
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> (2009), 一百个漢字 <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/news/book/book-review-symbols-art-and-language-from-the-land-of-the-dragon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Symbols, art, and language from the land of the dragon</a>: The cultural history of 100 Chinese characters, Duncan Baird Publishers Ltd, London
Other stories in Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yang-xiang-trying-to-throttle-the-tiger-to-rescue-her-father/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yang Xiang Trying to Throttle the Tiger to Rescue Her Father</a> 杨香扼虎救亲
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/wang-xiang-lay-on-ice-to-catch-carp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wang Xiang Lay on Ice to Catch Carp</a> 王祥卧冰求鲤
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lu-ji-hiding-tangerines-for-his-mother/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lu Ji Hiding Tangerines for His Mother</a> 陆绩怀橘遗亲

Tanzi Feeding Parents with Deer’s Milk

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Tao Yuanming (陶渊明, 365–427), also known as Tao Qian 陶潜, the paragon of ‘Fields and Gardens poetry’, spent most of his life as a hermit in a cottage in the countryside, reading, drinking wine, and writing poetry in an unmannered style. He had a unique eye for the beauty and serenity of the natural world close at hand. Often simple and direct, Tao reflected in his poems on the pleasures and difficulties of rural life and his disdain of the officious hierarchy. The essence of Tao as a literary and spiritual figure is usually represented by an image of him appreciating <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/chrysanthemum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chrysanthemums </a>in a landscape as well as his famous couplet:
“I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge,
Then gaze long at the southern mountain range.” 
(采菊东篱下，悠然见南山)

Tao Yuanming Appreciating Chrysanthemums

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‘Tiao Mei He Geng 调梅和羹’ is a metaphor that likens the art of governing a country to the adequate seasoning of a stew with salt and sour prunes. The scene is often made up of a group of women or men surrounding a stove, on which a cauldron of food is being cooked, with an assistant holding a container with sour prunes.
In the Commentary of Zuo (左传 Zuo Zhuan), one of the oldest Chinese history books, written during the 4th century BCE, there is a famous passage in which the right method of preparing a perfectly seasoned stew is linked to the proper way of maintaining a harmonious relationship between the lord and his vassal. The statesman Yan Ying (晏婴 578–500 BCE) says to the Duke Jing of Qi (齐景公 Qi Jinggong, r. 547–490 BCE): ‘The cook blends the ingredients and balances them according to the right taste, adding whatever is lacking and negating whatever is excessive (宰夫和之，齐之以味；济其不及，以泄其过).’
From then on, the phrase 和羹 hegeng, ‘seasoning the stew’, or 调梅 tiaomei, ‘seasoning the stew with sour prunes’, or 调鼎 tiaoding, ‘seasoning the food in the cauldron’, has been widely used to refer to the business of ‘governing the country’, or, specifically, ‘serving as the prime minister to the emperor’.
This classic pictorial allusion depicted in the centre of the Kangxi plates in the collections of the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art was first unveiled by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. His research article on this topic is available <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/what-does-a-daily-life-scene-of-cooking-have-to-do-with-politics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Examples of governors with good reputation:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/chen-ping-dividing-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chen Ping Dividing Meat</a> 陈平分肉
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/bing-ji-inquiring-about-a-panting-buffalo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bing Ji Inquiring about a Panting Buffalo</a> 丙吉问牛喘
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-boot-swapping-ceremony-for-the-departing-governor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Boot-Swapping Ceremony for the Departing Governor</a> 民赞清官留旧靴

Seasoning a Stew with Sour Prunes

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This scene is taken from Vol. 24 of the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义 Sanguo Yanyi).
In the 15th year of Jian’an (AD 210), Cao Cao (曹操) completed the construction of Bronze Sparrow Terrace in Ye City (modern-day Handan, Hebei Province, China). To celebrate, he hosted a grand banquet and organised an archery contest among his military officers. He ordered attendants to hang a red brocade war robe on a drooping willow branch, with a target set below and a shooting distance of 100 paces.
Cao Cao announced that whoever could hit the bullseye would be rewarded with the robe, while those who missed would be punished with a cup of plain water. Several officers successfully struck the bullseye, but then General Xu Huang (徐晃) declared, ‘Hitting the target is no big deal. Watch me claim the robe directly!’ He drew his bow, took aim at the willow branch, and, with a single shot, severed it cleanly, causing the robe to fall gracefully— an extraordinary feat later known as Xu Huang’s hundred-pace piercing of the willow.
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story scene description by <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other stories in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhao-zilongs-solo-rescue-of-liu-beis-infant-son/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhao Zilong’s solo rescue of Liu Bei’s infant son</a> 赵子龙单骑救主
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/liu-bei-and-sun-quan-chopping-stone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liu Bei and Sun Quan chopping stone</a> 刘备孙权砍石问天(孙刘试剑)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/the-couples-tryst-in-the-phoenix-pavilion-making-dong-zhuo-fly-into-a-fury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Couple’s Tryst in the Phoenix Pavilion Making Dong Zhuo Fly into a Fury</a> 董卓大闹凤仪亭
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/general-zhou-yu-flogging-huang-gai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">General Zhou Yu Flogging Huang Gai</a> 周瑜打黄盖 (苦肉计)

Archery Contest at Bronze Sparrow Terrace

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Wang Xiang (王祥 185–269) served as the Grand Protector (taibao 太保) in the Western Jin court (西晋 265–316 CE) and, as a significant politician, has his biography in the Book of Jin (jinshu 晋书), an official historical text covering the dynasty’s history. When Wang Xiang was a boy, his mother passed away. His stepmother was not kind to him, often speaking ill of him before his father. One bitterly cold wintry day, his stepmother had a craving for the carp. Wang Xiang went to the frozen lake, took his clothes off, and lay on the icy surface trying to melt the ice in order to catch some <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/fish/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fish</a>. Suddenly, the ice cracked and out jumped two carp, which Wang Xiang could take back to please his parents. It was Wang’s devout filial piety that moved the dragon king residing in the lake, who sent him the carp as a reward.
Research on this story scene:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/is-this-man-really-dancing-with-carp-a-revelation-of-a-traditional-chinese-story-on-filial-piety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Is this man really dancing with carp: a revelation of a traditional Chinese story on filial piety</a>
Related Pun Rebus:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/pun-pictures/may-you-remain-pure-clean-and-incorruptible/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May you remain pure, clean, and incorruptible 清白廉洁</a>

Wang Xiang lying on ice to catch carp

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Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303–361) is often said to be the greatest calligrapher in Chinese history. He has his biography in the official history of Jin 晋 dynasty (c. 265–420). One anecdote in it concerns his fame for his calligraphic skill and his love of geese. A Daoist priest in the neighbourhood raised a handsome flock of geese. Wang Xizhi paid a special visit to him in order to see the geese and found it hard to tear himself away from them. He pleaded with the priest to sell the flock to him. The geese raiser made him a counteroffer: ‘I will let you have the whole flock if you write a copy of Laozi’s Daodejing (道德经) text for me.’ Wang Xizhi willingly finished the job and went home happily with the geese.
Ever since the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), there are two basic types of composition depicting Wang’s love of geese. One type shows Wang watching geese in the river from the bank; the other features him being offered a goose by his servant or the priest.
literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Wang Xizhi’s Love of Geese

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Wei Jie (卫玠, 286-312) was admired as a handsome “jade man’ when he appeared in his signature goat-drawn carriage in town. Wei Jie shone like a piece of gleaming diamond whichever company he was in.
On 17th century porcelain, the goat-drawn carriage and the <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/fruit-throwing-antics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fruit-throwing antics</a> to Pan An (潘安, 247-300), another famous and adorable man, from respective historical sources were often combined to form one spectacular story scene. Read related blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-chinese-people-reacted-to-handsome-men-in-ancient-times/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a>
References:
<ol>
<li>倪亦斌:《掷果盈车数潘安, 陈年旧事女看男》,《艺术世界》, 上海: 上海文艺出版社，2006-10, pp.102-103.</li>
<li>倪亦斌:《掷果盈车数潘安, 陈年旧事女看男》,《看图说瓷》, 北京: 中华书局, 2008, pp. 173-176.</li>
</ol>

Wei Jie

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Nicknamed xingzhe (行者), ‘Pilgrim’ or ‘Traveller’, Wu Song (武松) is a popular fictional figure well-known for his slaying a <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tiger </a>single-handedly after he was intoxicated on local rice wine. His heroic deed was first recorded as a title of a play in The Register of Ghosts (录鬼簿 Lugui bu), compiled by Zhong Sicheng (钟嗣成 ca 1279 – ca 1360). The book is a bio-bibliography of dramas and dramatists and lists the play entitled Wu Song Slaying a Tiger Even After His Quarterstaff Was Broken (折担儿武松打虎). During the sixteenth century, the legendary tiger-slaying episode was adopted in Shen Jing’s (沈璟, 1553–1610) miraculous play (传奇 chuanqi) The Story of the Righteous Knight-Errant (义俠记 Yi Xia Ji) and the two great classical novels in Chinese literature, i.e. <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/water-margin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Water Margin </a>(水浒传 Shui Hu Zhuan) and The <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/prunus-plum-blossom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plum</a> in the Golden Vase (金瓶梅 Jin Ping Mei).
During a trip, Wu Song entered a tavern at the foot of Jingyang Ridge (景阳冈), to have a break. The shop owner was proud of the potency of his alcoholic beverage and warned his customers not to drink more than three bowls and go alone to the territory of a man-hunting tiger in the mountains. Wu Song ignored his advice and proceeded with his journey even after drinking eighteen bowls of the rice wine. Sure enough, in the bushes, Wu Song was ambushed by the hungry tiger and shock out of his stupor. After an arduous primaeval confrontation between man and nature, Wu Song subdued the mighty beast. On his way out, Wu Song met some local hunters who had been trying to eliminate the monster and they treated him with awe and respect. His Gilgamesh-like feat won him the honour of being the local hero and the story passed on everybody’s lips with numerous adaptations in arts.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/a-legendary-chinese-story-scene-embedded-in-a-chinoiserie-portrait/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>to see how this story scene became the historical evidence of a harbinger of the future globalisation.
Other story scenes related to the tiger:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/li-cunxiao-slaying-a-tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Li Cunxiao Slaying a Tiger 李存孝打虎</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yang-xiang-trying-to-throttle-the-tiger-to-rescue-her-father/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yang Xiang Trying to Throttle the Tiger to Rescue Her Father 杨香扼虎救亲</a>

Wu Song Slaying the Tiger

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Xiahou Dun (夏侯惇, died 13 June 220) was one of Cao Cao’s (曹操, 155-220) most valued generals in the late Eastern Han dynasty (东汉, 25-220) of China. Xiahou showed his strong temperament even when he was in his early teens. Once his mentor was insulted, and he went straight to the insulter and killed him. During the 190s in a military campaign against the famous fighter <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lv-bus-archery-stunt-at-the-camp-gate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lv Bu</a> (Lü Bu 吕布, died 199), an arrow hit one of Xiahou’s eyeballs. He showed his valour by yanking the arrow out of his eye socket and ate his own eyeball as an act of filial piety because of the cherished belief that any part of the body was a gift from parents and should not be thrown away. From then on, Xiahou was known as ‘One-eyed Xiahou’.
Read Dr Yibin Ni&#8217;s <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-to-depict-a-heroic-soldier-in-chinese-artworks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog</a> for more analysis of the artistic presentations of Xiahou Dun on Chinese antique porcelain, woodblock print and other art forms, in association with comparable figures in Western culture.

Xiahou Dun Yanking an Arrow that Pierced His Eyeball

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‘Sima Xiangru Inscribing on the Bridge Gateway (相如题桥)’ was a popular theme in theatre from at least the Song (960–1279) through to the Qing (1644–1911) dynasty. Sima Xiangru (司马相如) was a Western Han (202 BCE – 8 CE) scholar unsuccessful in making a career in civil services. However, Wang Ji, the magistrate of Linqiong county, was impressed by his dazzling talents and invited him to live in his house as a guest.
One day, a rich local businessman, Zhuo Wangsun (卓王孙), held a house party for Wang and Sima, at which Sima played the qin zither. Zhuo’s recently-widowed daughter, Wenjun (文君), heard the music and was fascinated by Sima’s performance as well as his genteel manner and bearing. The two fell in love and she eloped with him. Mortified, Zhuo Wangsun refused to support the couple and the poverty-stricken lovers had to earn their living by running a wine-shop by the roadside.
One autumn day, encouraged by his wife, Sima made up his mind to leave home to seek his fortune in the capital, Chang’an. Wenjun went to see him off at the Bridge of ‘Ascending to the Realm of Immortals’ (昇仙桥) on the outskirts. When he made farewell to his wife, Sima vowed that he would not cross the bridge again unless he did so riding in a grand carriage drawn by four horses.
Sure enough, his ambition was realised in a few years’ time and he enjoyed a triumphant home-coming ceremony given by the local officials. The anecdote has encouraged generations of young men leaving hometown to seek fortunes in the big world!
Read more about the story in Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>&#8216;s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/how-were-a-chinese-scholars-ambition-talent-and-hard-work-paid-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Sima Xiangru inscribing on the bridge gateway

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The story comes from the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji 史记), specifically the biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin. It recounts an episode from 206 BCE, during the power struggle between the Chu and Han kingdoms.
Han Xin 韩信, well-versed in military strategy, joined Liu Bang 刘邦 during this turbulent period. However, he was only appointed to a minor post, and his talent went unrecognised. Disheartened, Han Xin fled under the cover of night.
Xiao He 萧何, Liu Bang’s chief minister, was eager to recruit talented individuals. When he heard of Han Xin’s departure, he pursued him immediately, riding through the night. According to legend, he caught up with Han Xin at the Cold Stream, where the water had suddenly risen, blocking Han Xin’s path. Xiao He seized the moment to persuade him to return.
Back at camp, Xiao He urged Liu Bang to reconsider. He praised Han Xin as a rare military genius and insisted that if Liu Bang wanted to win control of the empire, he must appoint Han Xin to a key position. Liu Bang accepted the advice and, on an auspicious day, held a formal ceremony to appoint Han Xin as Grand General. Han Xin later played a decisive role in Liu Bang’s campaigns and helped establish the Han dynasty.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>

Xiao He Pursuing Han Xin by Moonlight

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Duke Mu of the Qin State (秦穆公, died 621 BCE) was one of the so-called Five Hegemons (五霸 wuba) in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 &#8211; 476 BCE) (春秋 chunqiu). He had a daughter named ‘Nongyu (弄玉, meaning Playing Jade)’, who was a talented musician excelling at playing the sheng (笙 mouthorgan). Nongyu only wanted to marry her musical match so a recluse genius xiao (箫 flute) player, Xiao Shi (萧史), was discovered and brought to the duke.
The duke was not keen on Xiao Shi at first when he learned that the young man’s musical instrument was different from his daughter’s. However, Nongyu, who was sitting behind the screen listening to the audience, asked Xiao Shi to play a piece on his flute. Xiao did.
As soon as the first piece ended, a gust of fresh air blew in. When the tune resumed, gold-laced rosy clouds gathered from the four directions in the sky. During the third performance, a couple of white <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cranes </a>danced in front of the duke’s terrace and <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/li-yuan-shooting-the-eye-of-the-peacocks-on-the-screen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peacocks </a>flew in! Experiencing the magic spectacle, the duke was pleasantly amazed and his daughter cried with joy, ‘This is my man!’ It happened to be the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the traditional calendar and was supposed to be the lucky day of their marriage. They had their wedding on that very night.
The couple lived happily together for years while Xiao Shi taught his wife to imitate the singing of <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/phoenix/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phoenixes </a>on her musical instrument. Whenever they played together on the high pavilion terrace named ‘Phoenix Terrace’ specially built for them, phoenixes would flock around them. One day, the couple rode on the divine birds ascending to heaven.
The story scene depicted on the Kangxi plate in the collection of the British Museum and on the Kangxi vase in the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY was first deciphered by Dr <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni. </a>More detailed discussion as well as parody of this scene is available <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/figures-riding-on-the-phoenix-and-dragon-daoist-immortals-or-a-flute-playing-couple/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Xiao Shi’s Playing the Xiao Flute Attracting Phoenixes

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This scene opens the first act of <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> and establishes the historical setting while introducing the principal characters.
The female lead is Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺, a 19-year-old young lady from the esteemed Cui family. She is accompanied by her mother, Lady Zheng 郑氏 (also referred to as Madame Cui 崔夫人), the family’s adopted son Huanlang 欢郎, and her clever maid, Hongniang 红娘. Madame Cui had long arranged Yingying’s betrothal to her own nephew, Zheng Heng 郑恒, and has recently sent him a letter urging him to come and assist with the family’s affairs.
The story is set in the year AD 801. Following the death of Madame Cui’s husband—the former Prime Minister of the Tang dynasty—the family is escorting his coffin back to their ancestral home. However, their journey is obstructed, and they take temporary lodging in the western wing of the Monastery of Universal Salvation (Pu Jiu Si 普救寺). The play’s title, Romance of the Western Chamber (Xixiang Ji 西厢记), is derived from this setting.
Meanwhile, the male lead of the play, the young scholar Zhang Gong 张珙(courtesy name Junrui 君瑞), is <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travelling to the capital to sit the imperial civil service examinations</a>. See more images and scene description <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other figural stories on Chinese artworks:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/zhang-chang-painting-his-wifes-eyebrows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhang Chang Painting His Wife’s Eyebrows</a> 张敞画眉
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/xiao-shis-playing-the-xiao-flute-attracting-phoenixes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xiao Shi’s Playing the Xiao Flute Attracting Phoenixes</a> 萧史吹箫引凤
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/archery-contest-at-bronze-sparrow-terrace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archery Contest at Bronze Sparrow Terrace</a> 铜雀台比武

Funeral Halt at the Secluded Monastery

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In Zhuangzi (庄子), an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221 BCE)  and one of the two foundational texts of Daoism, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu 西王母) was mentioned as a deity who ‘obtained the Dao (the Way)’. According to the Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping jing 太平经), a valuable resource for researching early Daoist beliefs and the society at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD25 – AD220), the Queen Mother of the West was an immortal (xian 仙). In the Six Dynasties period (420–589), she was adopted into the pantheon of religious Daoism (Daojiao 道教) as the principal female deity in the Supreme Secret Essentials (Wushang miyao 无上秘要), a Daoist encyclopaedia completed in 577.
The scene of the celebration of the Queen Mother’s birthday typically consists of three components: first, a female dignitary seated before a screen, flanked by a couple of court ladies and entourage; a dancer gesticulating with her arms, often on a rug; an all-female orchestra playing various kinds of musical instruments.
Read more of Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni’s</a> research work on this <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/birthday-party-of-the-queen-mother-of-the-west/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">topic.</a>

Birthday Celebration for the Queen Mother of the West

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The Chinese classic drama Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记) depicts a romantic story of a young couple in the Tang dynasty. The name of the play has also been translated into The Story of the Western Wing, The West Chamber, and Romance of the Western Bower, etc. It stands as one of the most influential Chinese dramatic works, and has been a popular subject in woodblock prints and porcelain paintings since Ming dynasty.
While there have been differing opinions regarding the authorship of this play, with some attributing it to Guan Hanqing 关汉卿, most <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_Western_Chamber" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literary research</a> credits the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (王实甫 1250–1336) as the author. The descriptions of the story scenes on<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Tutuhaoyi 图图好意</a> are based on Wang Shifu’s version of the play.
Plot content:
Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞, nickname Scholar Zhang 张生), a young scholar lodging at the Monastery of Universal Salvation encountered Cui Yingying 崔莺莺, the daughter of former Prime Minister of the Tang court. Their affection blossomed through mutual appreciation of poetry. However, a rebel Sun Feihu (nicknamed Sun the Flying Tiger 孙飞虎) coveted Yingying’s beauty and attempted to abduct her from the temple. As the monastery was besieged by ruffians, Yingying’s mother, Lady Zheng 郑氏, promised her daughter’s hand in marriage to whomever could rescue her from the bandits. Scholar Zhang had his letter for help sent to his childhood friend Du Que 杜确, nicknamed General White Horse 白马将军. General Du led five thousand warriors towards the temple and successfully subdued the bandits.
Unexpectedly, Lady Zheng regretted the marriage proposal afterwards due to differences in their social status. She offered Scholar Zhang monetary compensation and suggested him to be Yingying’s sworn brother instead. Stricken with sorrow, Scholar Zhang fell ill, and Yingying was distraught. With the help of Yingying’s clever maid Hongniang 红娘, they exchanged secret letters and eventually managed to meet clandestinely. However, their forbidden affair was soon discovered by Lady Zheng, who intended to punish them. Through Hongniang’s eloquent defense, Lady Zheng reluctantly agreed to the marriage on the condition that Scholar Zhang passed the imperial examinations. To the delight of the young lovers, Scholar Zhang succeeded, and they finally became a couple.
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Summary by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Pictorial illustration of this story (work in progress):
Act I
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/funeral-halt-at-the-secluded-monastery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Funeral Halt at the Secluded Monastery</a> 萧寺停丧
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考 (应举登途)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingyings-encounter-in-the-salvation-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying’s encounter in the Salvation Monastery</a> 佛殿奇逢 (惊艳)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓 (禅关假馆)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
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Act II
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Feihu besieging the monastery with a gang of bandits</a> 彪贼起兵 (乱倡绿林)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/huiming-delivering-a-letter-for-help/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Huiming delivering a letter for help</a> 惠明寄书 (溃围请救)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/hongniangs-banquet-invitation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hongniang’s Banquet Invitation</a> 红娘请宴
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a>  莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)
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Act III
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/repudiation-of-the-billet-doux/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Repudiation of the Billet-Doux</a> 张生跳墙 (乘夜踰垣)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/hongniang-enquiring-after-scholar-zhangs-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hongniang Enquiring After Scholar Zhang’s Health</a> 倩红问病
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Act IV
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber</a> 月下佳期
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/hongniang-in-the-dock-from-romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hongniang in the Dock</a> 堂前巧辩 / 拷红
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/farewell-feast-at-the-pavilion-from-romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farewell feast at the pavilion</a> 长亭送别 (哭宴)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhangs-startled-dream-at-caoqiao-inn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang’s startled dream at Caoqiao Inn</a> 草桥惊梦
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Act V
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Romance of the Western Chamber

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The Royal Hunt at Xutian is a pivotal moment in Chapter 20 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《三国演义》) by Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中). This episode highlights Cao Cao (曹操) as a domineering minister who ‘held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.’
In this scene, Cao Cao arranges a hunting expedition with Emperor Xian (汉献帝). When the emperor fails to hit a deer after three shots, he hands the task to Cao Cao. After obtaining the emperor’s ornate bow and golden arrow, Cao Cao shoots and strikes the deer with a single arrow. The soldiers, recognising the imperial arrow, mistakenly believe the emperor made the shot and loudly cheer, ‘Long live the emperor!’ Seizing the moment, Cao Cao rides forward to receive the acclamation himself—an act that stuns the courtiers. Guan Yu (关羽), incensed by this arrogance, attempts to strike Cao Cao down, but is restrained by Liu Bei (刘备), who instead offers polite praise: ‘What a masterful shot, Chancellor!’ Cao Cao modestly replies that it was thanks to the emperor’s good fortune, yet he does not return the imperial bow—he simply keeps it for himself.
Through this carefully crafted episode, Luo Guanzhong underscores Cao Cao’s overreach and his audacious grip on power. It is worth noting, however, that this scene is a literary embellishment. In the historical Records of the Three Kingdoms (《三国志》), the hunt at Xutian is mentioned only briefly without such dramatic detail.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>

The Royal Hunt at Xutian

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The play Polishing the Dust-covered Mirror (磨尘鉴 Mo Chen Jian) was compiled in 1619 by an obscure playwright Niu Ge (钮格), according to some twentieth-century researchers, including the eminent scholar of the field Zheng Zhenduo (郑振铎 1898–1958). The play portrays some colourful historical figures of the Tang dynasty (618–907) such as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (name: 李隆基 Li Longji 685–762) and his famous consort Lady Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环 719–56), one of the Four Great Classic Beauties in Ancient China.
In Act 12, entitled ‘The Tipsy Consort (醉妃 Zui Fei)’, Lady Yang is drowning her disappointment in alcohol when the emperor fails to turn up at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion (百花亭), where they are supposed to meet that evening. Lady Yang spends her lonely night by abusing her attendant eunuchs and losing herself in intoxication. Eventually, Lady Yang staggers back to her own quarters swaying back and forth with her maids’ support.
Later, the plot was refined to become ‘Imperial Consort Yang Getting Drunk (贵妃醉酒 Guifei Zuijiu)’, one of the best-known classic Peking opera episodes.
image identification and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Imperial Consort Lady Yang Getting Drunk

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Early in Jin dynasty (晋 265–420), Yang Feng 杨丰 and his teenage daughter, Yang Xiang 杨香, were harvesting the millet crops in the fields when he was attacked by a <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tiger</a>. Though only fourteen-years-old and without any weapon in her hand, Yang Xiang fearlessly jumped onto the tiger trying to strangle the beast. Her spirit of filial piety was so powerful that even a ferocious wild beast was deterred and ran away. Yang Feng thus survived. The county governor awarded Yang Xiang’s extraordinary good deeds with grains and honouring flags at the gate of their family residence.
This is one of the stories in the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (二十四孝 er shi si xiao). Read the research blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/male-or-female-a-discussion-of-the-traditional-portrait-of-yang-xiang/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>written by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> regarding the gender portrait of Yang Xiang in different dynasties in traditional Chinese artworks.
Other story scenes related to the tiger:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/li-cunxiao-slaying-a-tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Li Cunxiao Slaying a Tiger 李存孝打虎</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/wu-song-slaying-the-tiger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wu Song Slaying the Tiger 武松打虎</a>

Yang Xiang Trying to Throttle the Tiger to Rescue Her Father

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Zhao Bian (赵抃, 1008–84) was held in high esteem all his life and posthumously because of his incorruptibility and sound statesmanship during his entire career. His prize possessions were legendarily well-known: a qin zither and two pets, a <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/crane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crane </a>and a <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/tortoise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tortoise</a>. They were inseparable from him wherever he was posted.
Some time during the years between 1064 and 1068, Zhao Bian was nominated as governor of Chengdu, which was a prosperous town contaminated by extravagant upper echelons. Zhao went there alone with his musical instrument and two pets without an entourage. In time, his good leadership made a name for himself and people of neighbouring areas moved to central Sichuan to seek better opportunities.
Once he had an audience with the emperor in court, the emperor asked Zhao, ‘Did you really go to Sichuan alone with only a qin zither and a crane as they say?’ Zhao modestly kowtowed to thank the emperor for his recognition.
Up till today, the saying ‘one qin zither and one crane (一琴一鹤)’ has been used to praise a virtuous official.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>’s research article <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/understanding-stories-on-chinese-porcelain-more-than-just-an-official-and-his-attendants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>for more interesting discussion.

A Qin Zither and a Pet Crane

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This is Scene Five of Act Two of the Chinese classic popular drama<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang ji).
At a family dinner party, Zhang Junrui’s (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) dream of marrying Yingying (莺莺) the love of his life was shattered by Yingying’s mother because he was a nobody with no respectable official’s position.
This drove him to thoughts of suicide. He tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol, and had to be supported by the maid Hongniang (红娘) to return to his own quarters. His desperation moved Hongniang. She suggested that he express his passion through a performance of the qin zither and she would arrange for Yingying to hear it on their way to their incense-burning ceremony in the evening.
When Yingying was led to pass Scholar Zhang’s quarters, Hongniang coughed to send Zhang a signal, in line with their secret prior arrangement. Zhang started to pour his heart out through the enchanting music that his deft fingers were playing. It did the trick: Yingying’s heart was melting!
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image identification and story scene description by Dr <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Feihu besieging the monastery with a gang of bandits</a> 彪贼起兵 (乱倡绿林)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/farewell-feast-at-the-pavilion-from-romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farewell feast at the pavilion</a> 长亭送别 (哭宴)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhangs-startled-dream-at-caoqiao-inn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang’s startled dream at Caoqiao Inn</a> 草桥惊梦

Yingying listening to the qin zither playing

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The story scene refers to an old Chinese saying: in the fight between the sandpiper and the clam, the fisherman has the best of it. This parable came from an ancient Chinese text entitled ‘Strategies of the Warring States (战国策 Zhanguo Ce)’. The book contains anecdotes of diplomacy and warfare during the Warring States period (5th to 3rd centuries BC).
The State of Zhao (赵国) was planning to attack the State of Yan (燕国). Su Dai (苏代) was sent by the State of Yan to the State of Zhao to try to prevent the imminent calamity. During the audience that Su Dai had with King Huiwen of Zhao (趙惠文王, 310-266 BCE, r. 298-266 BCE), he found a clever way to persuade the king to change his mind. Here is Su Dai’s speech:
When I was leaving my country crossing the Yi River (in the present-day Yi County, Hebei province), I saw a clam lying open, enjoying the sunshine on the bank. Out of the blue, a sandpiper flew down and tried to snatch a morsel to eat between its shells. The clam promptly slammed its shells shut, locking the sandpiper&#8217;s beak in between. The sandpiper tried to wriggle out of the situation, saying, ‘If it doesn&#8217;t rain today and it doesn&#8217;t rain tomorrow, there will be a dead clam on the river bank.’ The clam retorted, ‘If I don&#8217;t let you go today and nor do I tomorrow, there will be a dead sandpiper on the river bank.’ While they grappled in a dead lock, a fisherman passed by and picked both up with very little effort. Now, if your majesty launched an attack on Yan, Yan would certainly try to resist your invasion. And the fight between the two countries would make both weak and then the State of Qin would be acting as that ‘fisherman’. I urge your majesty to reconsider your plan. 
The king of Zhao got the message from Su’s story and called off the military campaign.
As a cautionary tale, this parable has been favoured by Chinese people for two millennia and has often been made into 2D or 3D images to educate the young.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>&#8216;s research blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/how-was-a-war-in-ancient-china-called-off-by-a-fishermans-story/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> regarding how this important pictorial motif was rediscovered from previous research papers and museum catalogues that only took it as genre painting.

In the fight between the sandpiper and the clam, the fisherman has the best of it

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Legend of the Jade Hairpin (Yu Zan Ji 玉簪记) is a Ming-dynasty ‘marvel play’ which was the major drama genre of the time. The play, consisting of thirty-three scenes, was written by Gao Lian (高濂 fl. 1573-1581) around 1580 and remained to be a popular classic for the following three hundred years. It is a Shakespearean love story of a young couple who were betrothed at birth, torn apart by war, and unwittingly fell in love with each other at a nunnery.
The scene is a snapshot of Act 19, Consummation of Love after the Revelation of the Girl’s Love Poem. The lovesick young scholar Pan Bizheng 潘必正 accidentally discovered the love verse from Chen Miaochang 陈妙常, the female protagonist in the play, and she could no longer repress her love for him anymore.
In a coarsely produced version, the horsetail fly whisk, a traditional trademark of a Daoist nun, is missing from Miaochang’s hand. In more sophisticated versions of the same scene, there is an additional figure playing the role of ‘Peeping Tom’, hiding behind a tree or the curtain of the ‘Moon window’. He is Scholar Pan’s page boy, Ange 安哥, and an opportunist. He took the advantage of the situation and threatened the young couple that he would report their tryst if they didn’t address him as ‘Sir Ange’.
Acknowledgement: The story scene depicted on the porcelain ware displayed in this listing was first deciphered by Dr <a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>. His article is published <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/another-marvel-play-after-romance-of-the-western-chamber-legend-of-the-jade-hairpin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here </a>for your reference.

Legend of the Jade Hairpin

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Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记 Xixiang ji) is the most popular love comedy in late imperial China. In the story, Scholar Zhang (张生 Zhang Junrui) falls in love with a beautiful lady named Cui Yingying (崔莺莺), who happens to be stranded in a monastery with her widowed mother and, after plenty of twists and turns, the young couple consummate their love under the nose of Yingying’s mother without her approval.
There is a popular motif on early Qing porcelain which vividly depicts a scene in the Act ‘Consummation of Love’ of the play Romance of the Western Chamber. Eventually, Scholar Zhang has persuaded the lady he has been courting to come to his quarters. Zhang is holding a candle in one hand to light the way with his left arm around Lady Yingying’s shoulders. He is almost dragging the shy lady towards the doorway with the candle noticeably tilting forward. Ahead of them, Yingying’s maid Hongniang (红娘) leads the way. She is carrying a folded duvet under her arms in case Scholar Zhang’s quilts were too shabby for the occasion, while she cannot help turning her head back, stealing glances at this thrilling human drama rare in her mundane life.
Motifs evolve during their use and spread. When the same image is adopted on an enamelled dish made in late Kangxi period, the maid Hongniang is abbreviated and the couple look much more relaxed, seemingly enjoying each other’s company. Zhang’s arm remains around Yingying’s shoulders and his hand that holds the candle stick is much surer and steadier. The couple are not moving towards a concrete door of Zhang’s bedroom, as they do in the two earlier examples. Instead, a dubious curved bridge or a planked passageway appeared behind them. It no longer serves a narrative function to indicate the locale of the event but only satisfies decorative needs in the graphic composition.
image identification and literature research: by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni </a>  
Other stories from Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a style="color: #3366ff;" data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying Receiving Good News Delivered by the Pageboy 泥金报捷</a>
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations 张生赶考</a>

Consummation of Love from Western Chamber

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Zhang Chang (张敞, ?- 48 BCE) and his wife grew up in the same village. When they were both children, Zhang Chang once threw a pebble at his future wife and, unfortunately, the scratch left a scar on one of her eyebrows. Later, Zhang became a civil servant and learned that the girl he once hit with a pebble was unmarried because of her marred face. He went to propose to her. After they got married, Zhang made a practice of painting his wife&#8217;s eyebrows every morning to cover up the scar. When Zhang Chang served as the Mayor of the capital, Emperor Xuan of Han dynasty (汉宣帝, reigned 74-48 BCE) rallied him on the point. He replied, ‘There were more intimate things that a husband would do to his wife in the bedchamber. (闺房之乐, 有甚于画眉者)’ The story remained a famous example of harmonious marriage in imperial China.
literary summary: by <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>

Zhang Chang Painting His Wife’s Eyebrows

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After Zhang Liang (张良, d. 189 BCE) failed to assassinate the first emperor of China, he changed his name and went into hiding. One day, he ran into Lord Yellowstone 黄石公, a guru strategist by the Yi Bridge 圯桥. The old man could see Zhang’s great potential but he wanted to put him through a series of tests before taking him as his pupil.
Lord Yellowstone deliberately dropped his shoe down the embankment and asked Zhang to fetch it and put it back onto his foot. Stomaching his resentment, Zhang meekly did what he was told to do. And then, Lord Yellowstone twice made early-morning appointments with him but cancelled them because Zhang arrived later than he did. The third time Zhang arrived at midnight way ahead of the designated time and his humility and perseverance impressed the old man, who then <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/lord-yellowstone-teaching-zhang-liang-art-of-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed on to him the ancient wisdoms and art of war</a>. Later, Zhang helped the founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang (刘邦, d. 195 BCE), with the invincible strategies and became one of Liu’s top three lieutenants.
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images on porcelain: first deciphered by <a style="color: #3366ff;" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>
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More stories about Zhang Liang:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/why-is-the-scene-of-a-man-holding-a-shoe-popular-in-chinese-antique-artworks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why is the scene of a man holding a shoe popular in Chinese antique artworks?</a>

Zhang Liang Fetching Shoe on Yi Bridge

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With strategic plans to restore the war-torn country back to order, the talented scholar Li Jing (李靖) was paying a visit to the powerful Lord Yang Su (杨素), who enjoyed luxurious ways of living and female company around him. To Li Jing’s disappointment, Lord Yang did not take his plans seriously. However, Red Fly Whisk (红拂女 hongfu nv as nickname, real name 张凌华), an exceptionally beautiful maid who was present at the meeting, immediately fell head over heels for Li Jing, while Li was passionately airing his ambitious views to Lord Yang.
Read more story of Li Jing and Red Fly Whisk with the other hero Zhang Zhongjian (张仲坚, nicknamed the Curly-Bearded Fellow 虬髯客), who <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/curly-bearded-fellow-going-overseas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left all his possessions to the couple and went overseas</a> to start his new life.
Read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>&#8216;s interesting analysis on <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/interesting-findings/how-to-depict-the-scene-of-falling-in-love-on-chinese-porcelain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to depict the scene of falling-in-love on Chinese porcelain.</a>

When Red Fly Whisk Fell Head over Heels for the Scholar

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Young scholar Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Zhang Sheng 张生) is the male protagonist in the famous ancient Chinese play, <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang ji, alternative translation is The Story of the Western Wing). He was commonly referred to as Scholar Zhang. The son of a cabinet minister of the court, he suffered the tragedy of losing both parents. This left him with only his sword and his books for solace and entertainment. Thus, he decided to sit for civil-service examinations. In Episode 2 of the play, he set off on horseback to the capital with his pageboy. The scene (in fig. 1 &amp; 21) depicts the moment when they approached the district of Pudong on the west bank of the Yellow River, in the territory of the Hezhong Prefecture (张生至蒲东).
image identification and literature research: by Dr <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a> 
Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber 月下佳期</a>
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying Listening to the Qin Zither Playing 莺莺听琴</a>
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy 泥金报捷</a>
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)</a>

Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations

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This is from Scene Three of Act Three of the Chinese classic drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber </a>(西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by playwright Wang Shifu 王实甫 (1250–1336) in Yuan dynasty. The episode is commonly called Repudiation of the Billet-Doux (赖简).
Zhang Junrui (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) and Miss Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 fell in love with each other at the monastery where they first met. Yingying’s maid, Hongniang 红娘, has been helping them delivering love letters. Yingying pretended to reject Scholar Zhang in her letter, but she left a clue for a rendezvous with him at night time. This scene depicts the evening when Scholar Zhang, unable to hold back his excitement, clambers over a garden wall and jumps down to meet his young lover Yingying.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations</a> 张生赶考 (应举登途)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber </a>月下佳期
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-getting-drunk-due-to-madame-cuis-broken-promise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise</a> 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying listening to the qin zither playing</a> 莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Repudiation of the Billet-Doux

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This is Scene Four of Act Two of the Chinese classic popular drama <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/romance-of-the-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romance of the Western Chamber</a> (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).
Madame Cui and her daughter Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 were residing temporarily in the monastery where Zhang Junrui’s (张君瑞, also called Scholar Zhang 张生) happened to stay there as well while he was on his way to the state examination.
A local bandit<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/sun-feihu-besieging-the-monastery-with-a-gang-of-bandits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sun Feihu 孙飞虎 came for the beautiful Yingying</a> whom Scholar Zhang fell deeply in love with. During the crisis, Madame Cui promised that whoever saved the monastery would be able to marry Yingying. Scholar Zhang asked help from his friend Du Que 杜确 (nicknamed General White Horse 白马将军) who later rescued the monastery successfully.
Madame Cui held a dinner party to thank Scholar Zhang. However, she introduced Zhang to Yingying as ‘your brother’, meaning not to honour her promise. Scholar Zhang felt like being knocked unconscious and had nothing at the dinner except endless cups of wine. He became very drunk and had to be fully supported by his page boy on his way home.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-embarking-on-his-journey-to-sit-for-civil-service-examinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang Embarking on His Journey to Sit for Civil-Service Examinations</a> 张生赶考
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-renting-a-room-in-the-monastery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang renting a room in the monastery</a> 僧房假寓 (禅关假馆)
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/scholar-zhang-and-cui-yingying-exchanging-verses-in-the-garden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden</a> 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/consummation-of-love-from-western-chamber/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consummation of love from Western Chamber</a> 月下佳期
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-listening-to-the-qin-zither-playing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying Listening to the Qin Zither Playing</a> 莺莺听琴
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/yingying-receiving-good-news-delivered-by-the-pageboy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy</a> 泥金报捷

Scholar Zhang Getting Drunk Due to Madame Cui’s Broken Promise

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In traditional Chinese customs, the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunisolar calendar is regarded as one of the most dangerous days of the year when evil spirits and hazardous creatures lurked around. Notably, five noxious creatures were identified, known as ‘<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/motifs-symbols/the-five-poisons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Five Poisons</a> (五毒 wǔ dú)’. Initially, they are the centipede, the lizard, the scorpion, the snake, and the toad.
In order to deal with the hazards and quell the evil spirits more effectively, the exorcising power was personified as a ‘heavenly master’, often riding a tiger. A Dream of Sorghum (梦梁录 Mengliang Lu), an account of the daily-life in the capital Lin’an (臨安, modern-day Hangzhou 杭州) during the Southern Song dynasty (南宋, 1127-1279) is one of the earliest sources to mention the ‘Heavenly Master Zhang (张天师)’ as a Duanwu festival (端午节) decoration. An effigy of him made from calamus or the rice-paper plant would be hung on the lintel, sometimes together with heads of the tiger and other auspicious beasts, to protect the household.
History of the Ming Court (明宫史 Ming Gongshi), a Ming-dynasty book mentions that pictures of the Heavenly Master, or a young deity, or a fairy subduing the Five Poisons with a sword would be framed and hung on the lintel for a whole month, just like the door gods during the Chinese New Year (‘门上悬挂吊屏，上画天师或仙子、仙女执剑降五毒故事’). Such images are now still available on porcelain, metal ornaments, and embroidered fabric.
For further interesting discussions regarding the personified image of the Heavenly Master, please read Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>&#8216;s blog <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/culture-and-customs/duanwu-festival-and-combating-the-five-poisons-in-chinese-seasonal-customs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Heavenly Master Zhang Quelling the Five Poisons

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Evidently, Zhao Kuangyin (赵匡胤 927–976), Emperor Taizu of the Song dynasty (宋太祖), often paid unofficial surprise visits to his courtiers. As a result, his ministers did not dare to change their official attire into casual wear even when they returned home from court. They had to be ready for imperial visits any time and did not want to appear discourteous when the emperor arrived.
As Emperor Taizu’s most entrusted strategist, Zhao Pu (赵普 922–992) was the most important politician in the court of the first two Song emperors, Taizu and Taizong (宋太宗 939–997). Emperor Taizu often consulted him on matters of national security and power consolidation. ‘Emperor Zhao Kuangyin Visiting Grand Chancellor Zhao Pu on a Snowing Evening’ is an epitome of the emperor’s comradeship with his right-hand-man.
One bitterly cold snowy evening, Zhao looked at the blowing snow outside with a sense of relief. He thought that it would be most unlikely that the emperor would come out of his palace in such weather. No sooner had Zhao Pu sat down with a book than he was informed that the emperor was at the gate.
Zhao Pu hurried to the courtyard and knelt down to welcome the sovereign. Double mattresses were laid on the floor of the hall and barbecue grill racks were set to cook meat. When Zhao Pu’s wife came out to serve wine, the emperor addressed her as ‘Sister-in-law’.
During this casual home visit, the emperor told Zhao Pu his grave concern of reunifying China. Sure enough, Zhao Pu came up with effective strategies to subjugate various small kingdoms starting from the south, which was fertile and rich but weak in combat forces. The meeting laid the foundation of the following nineteen-year military campaigns that reunited the Chinese people.
image identification on porcelain and literature research by Dr <a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/dr-yibin-ni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yibin Ni</a>  
Stories of emperors from other dynasties:
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/night-revel-of-the-emperor-yang-of-the-sui-dynasty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Night Revel of the Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty</a> 隋炀帝夜游西苑
<a data-internal-link="true" href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/blogs/commonly-misunderstood-images/how-a-massacre-in-ancient-china-influenced-european-literature-painting-and-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How a massacre in ancient China influenced European literature, painting and theatre</a>

Emperor Zhao Kuangyin Visiting Grand Chancellor Zhao Pu on a Snowing Evening

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According to the ‘Account of Zhao Yun’ (赵云传) in ‘The Records of the Three Kingdoms’ (三国志), Zhao Yun (styled Zilong, 子龙) was a distinguished general serving under his warlord, Liu Bei 刘备. It is said that Zhao was not only handsome and sturdy-built, but also brave and skilled in battle. In Chapters 41 to 42 of ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ (三国演义 Sanguo Yanyi), it is recorded that in 208 CE during the Eastern Han dynasty, Liu Bei lost a battle to his opponent Cao Cao 曹操 at Changbanpo 长坂坡. Liu Bei fled south with his troops, leaving behind his wife Lady Mi and infant son Liu Shan (刘禅, nickname A’Dou 阿斗). The brave Zhao Yun went back to the battlefield seven times to search for Liu’s lost family and eventually found Lady Mi holding A’Dou and crying beside a well. Lady Mi thanked Zhao for saving her son’s life but then turned and jumped into the well so as not to burden Zhao on his way out. Zhao tied the infant A’Dou onto his trunk and fought fiercely against Cao’s army. It is said that he fought off more than fifty warriors before finally reuniting with his warlord Liu Bei.
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story scene description by <a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/about-us/rachel-ma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Ma</a>
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Related Figures and Stories:
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/liu-bei-and-sun-quan-chopping-stone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liu Bei and Sun Quan chopping stone</a> 刘备孙权砍石问天(孙刘试剑)
<a href="https://tutuhaoyi.com/figures-stories/general-zhou-yu-flogging-huang-gai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">General Zhou Yu Flogging Huang Gai</a> 周瑜打黄盖 (苦肉计)

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